Volunteerism Trends in 2024 Corporate Incentives and More

Volunteerism Trends in 2024 | Corporate Incentives and More

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Did you know that the value of a single volunteer hour (according to the benefit it produces for an organization) is estimated to be $29.95? Or that thousands of companies offer generous volunteer grant programs to encourage staff to support philanthropic efforts? Volunteerism trends like these can shed significant light on an invaluable opportunity for your team.

To help your nonprofit understand your volunteers a bit more, this guide will conduct a deep dive into the following essential volunteer trends and patterns:

Volunteers play an integral role in your nonprofit, handling responsibilities from behind-the-scenes bookkeeping to on-the-ground work at your program sites. When solidifying your volunteer program’s recruitment strategies, understanding the nonprofit landscape allows you to source powerful insights from broader trends in volunteer behavior and motivations. Then, you can use the insights to adjust your strategy and better attract and retain a solid group of volunteers.

Ready? Let’s begin with the first trend!

One-third of the nonprofit workforce is made up of volunteers.

Volunteerism trend - percentage of volunteer nonprofit workforce

For U.S.-based nonprofits, volunteers are everywhere. In fact, recent reports indicate that an estimated 63 million Americans volunteer their time and energy with organizations like yours.

That said, your nonprofit’s staff is instrumental in providing beneficiaries with the services they need. However, most nonprofits have tight budgets and often rely on volunteer labor to get work done. This is so much the case that an astounding one-third of all nonprofit workers are volunteers.

Of course, the ratio of paid employees to volunteers will vary from one nonprofit to the next. For example, many small organizations do incredibly important work but are entirely made up of volunteers. In contrast, enterprise-size nonprofits often have entire departments of paid employees.

What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?

Because so much labor at charitable organizations goes unpaid, calculations of the nonprofit sector’s economic value will always be off. Don’t let this impact how your nonprofit values your volunteers. Instead, show your appreciation and ensure your volunteer staff feel like they’re a real part of your team. Ultimately, they are!

This also means that, by sourcing new volunteers, organizations can often expand their capabilities and do even more for their missions.

Most U.S.-based volunteers are between the ages of 35 and 44.

Volunteerism trend - average age range

Reports show that the average U.S. volunteer is a woman between the ages of 35 and 44, usually with a child less than 18 years of age.

It’s important to recognize that non-women, along with people of other age groups, certainly volunteer, as well. However, there are a few key assumptions we can draw from the average organization’s volunteer profile.

For example, middle-aged mothers are likely to volunteer at their children’s school, church, and neighborhood activities. This assessment also holds true for reports of informal volunteering⁠—such as cooking for neighbors, taking care of children, and improving the state of their communities.

What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?

Assess your current supporter base to see if your nonprofit’s average volunteer fits this profile. Then, use the information to tap into audiences your nonprofit may have previously neglected.

For example, how can you reach more families? Do you offer volunteer positions that are convenient for working professionals? Be sure to assess not just your volunteer marketing but the overall accessibility of your volunteer program for individuals with differing circumstances, needs, and opportunities.

Regular volunteerism offers numerous benefits for individuals.

Volunteerism trend - motivations and benefits

Partaking in volunteerism provides numerous and widespread benefits for volunteers, the organizations with which they devote their time, and their communities as a whole. For volunteers themselves, the value includes personal fulfillment, a deepened sense of purpose, and professional skill development.

When asked why they volunteer, 35% of individuals indicated their primary reason was to socialize. However, the majority of volunteers (83%) say their main motivator is helping a cause they care about.

In addition to these benefits, research indicates that individuals who regularly volunteer have a 27% higher chance of finding employment, too. Not to mention, individuals who volunteer tend to experience 38% fewer nights in the hospital.

What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?

It’s easy to focus solely on how volunteering helps the nonprofit recruit supporters. However, while volunteers do want to help causes they care about, it never hurts to mention the benefits they can receive in addition to making a positive impact.

Be upfront about the skills and experience supporters can gain from volunteering. This can include anything from customer service experience, data management, specific labor and technical skills, or anything else related to your programs that’s also applicable in the workplace.

Formal volunteerism rates are declining in most states.

Volunteerism trend - decline across states

Nonprofits need volunteers to staff events, help during fundraisers, and complete tasks that keep their programs running. However, finding enough people to fill all available volunteer positions isn’t always easy, and 62% of nonprofit CEOs state that recruiting enough volunteers is an issue. This goes hand-in-hand with additional data reporting that the demand for many nonprofit services is up.

If your nonprofit has had trouble filling volunteer positions, know that you’re not alone. The majority of U.S. states have seen a decrease in the percentage of their population that formally volunteers. How much volunteering has declined varies from state to state, with some following routine ebbs and flows, while others have experienced as much as a 10% drop. For example, in Florida, already a state with low volunteering rates, 22.8% of the population volunteered in 2017. Four years later, it’s just 15.9%.

Meanwhile, of those who do volunteer, 72% work with just one organization⁠—and a mere 18% are involved with two.

What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?

While volunteer rates can shift for a number of reasons, there are several factors your nonprofit can control. For example, consider what roles you have open for volunteers. How do you promote these opportunities? Are these roles volunteers would be interested in, or are they positions that are mostly rote work? Is your team sourcing support through corporate volunteer initiatives?

Additionally, if you’re constantly having to find new volunteers, that might be a sign to take a step back and assess your volunteer retention strategy. Talk with these volunteers about improvements to your program they’d like to see and show your appreciation. Even if you’re low on staff, make sure not to overwork them to avoid volunteer burnout, too.

Companies are increasingly encouraging their staff to partake in volunteerism.

Volunteerism trend - growing corporate volunteerism

More and more, companies are actively encouraging their employees to engage in volunteerism, recognizing the benefits of such initiatives for team building, employee satisfaction, corporate social responsibility, and more.

For example, 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grants, where they encourage their employees to volunteer by donating to the nonprofits their employees support. It generally works like this:

  1. An employee volunteers at an eligible nonprofit. 
  2. The employee reports their volunteer hours and other needed information. Most employee volunteer grant programs are based on the hours an employee volunteers. Some provide a per-hour rate, while others require a certain number of hours to be met before donating a flat amount. Additionally, employers often require the nonprofit’s name, tax ID, and mailing address.
  3. The company donates to the nonprofit. Once a volunteer grant application is submitted, the company reviews it. If the nonprofit and hours requirements have been met, the grant application is improved, and the nonprofit receives a donation.

While the amount offered will vary from one company to another, 80% of employers report offering grants worth $8 to $15 per hour a team member volunteers.

Another way companies incentivize volunteerism is through volunteer time off (VTO), generally offering between 8 and 40 hours each year. Around 60% of companies currently provide employees with paid VTO, with an additional 21% planning to implement a VTO policy in the coming months.

What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?

Your supporters’ time is already an invaluable resource for your organization. When you consider that your nonprofit may qualify for grant funding in addition to the hours volunteers donate, you’re presented with an excellent opportunity to maximize this group’s support. Every hour a volunteer spends with your organization not only contributes their time and skills (which is currently worth an estimated $29.95), but also translates into direct financial support.

Therefore, start educating your volunteers about the power of volunteer grants and other incentives. Keep careful track of their hours, and help them discover if they’re eligible for employer-sponsored programming. Most companies will have the relevant information accessible through their CSR portal or in their office handbook. If you can’t find any information there, it also never hurts to ask!

Meanwhile, Volunteer Time Off programs provide employees with the opportunity to volunteer during work hours without sacrificing their income. And 67% of survey respondents say having paid time off to volunteer would make for a positive engagement experience! Take a look at the supporters in your network, and see if any work for companies that offer these programs.

Volunteer grants are a growing volunteer trend

There’s a significant overlap between companies offering matching gifts and ones offering volunteer incentives.

Volunteerism trend - overlap with matching gift companies

You may have heard that more than 24,000 companies offer matching gifts for their employees. But did you know that companies contributing matching gifts often overlap significantly with those offering volunteer grant programs? In fact, recent studies indicate that over 85% of the top matching gift companies also offer volunteer grants.

In other words, philanthropic-minded employers generally offer more than one opportunity for staff to get involved. If you know a company matches monetary donations, the chances are good that it’ll match volunteer time as well⁠—and vice versa!

What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?

If you’re looking for volunteer grant opportunities to pursue, identifying well-known matching gift companies can give your organization the boost you need. This can also provide an excellent chance to pitch volunteer activities to matching gift donors and matching gift opportunities to “Dollars for Doers” volunteers.

This also means that a dual approach to marketing can further amplify fundraising efforts. When engaging with donors, it’s beneficial to educate them about both matching gift and volunteer grant opportunities. You don’t want to let either program fall by the wayside!

Many corporate volunteer incentives continue to be underutilized.

Volunteerism trend - underutilized corporate volunteer incentives

Despite the rise in corporate encouragement for volunteerism, many corporate volunteer incentives remain underutilized. Why? Unfortunately, awareness rates are often low, suggesting a need for better promotion around the program to maximize the opportunities.
Today, the average employee participation level for volunteer grants, or Dollars for Doers, is a mere 3%. Like matching gifts, there’s a significant knowledge gap when it comes to eligible volunteers being aware of the opportunities.

Meanwhile, the average corporate volunteer participation rate stands at 33%. Although not all employees participate in existing volunteer incentive programs, it’s worth noting that companies with fewer than 10,000 employees achieved a higher-than-average participation rate of 39%. At the same time, those with more than 50,000 employees had a participation rate of 24%.

What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?

For nonprofits, a steadily low participation rate represents an opportunity to increase awareness and, subsequently, engagement in the programs. Volunteers who don’t know about their companies’ existing programming won’t know to request volunteer grant funding on your organization’s behalf, thus leaving dollars on the table.

By actively promoting the benefits of volunteer grants and other corporate incentives to volunteers, donors, and partners alike, your nonprofit can encourage higher participation and secure more employee giving revenue than before.

Wrapping Up & Additional Philanthropy Resources

As the volunteer landscape continues to evolve, nonprofits like yours face a unique opportunity to make the most of your supporter base. Companies are recognizing the dual benefits of volunteer programs: enhancing corporate social responsibility while fostering employee engagement. Meanwhile, innovations in technology are making it easier than ever for individuals to find and participate in volunteer activities that align with their passions and skills.

Incorporating these trends into your organization’s volunteer strategy can lead to more robust and effective programs. By staying ahead of these developments, businesses and nonprofits alike can maximize their impact, build stronger communities, and create a more engaged and fulfilled workforce.

Interested in learning more about volunteerism trends and other philanthropy opportunities? Check out these recommended resources:


Scale up your organization's corporate volunteer strategy with 360MatchPro 💡

Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Ed Fundraising

Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Ed Fundraising

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Colleges and universities often rely on generous donors to fund their academic programming, extracurricular activities, research and development, and more. In the realm of educational fundraising, understanding your supporters⁠—and their professional journeys⁠—can significantly enhance engagement and boost giving across the board. One of the best ways to do so involves making the most of employment data for higher ed fundraising.

That said, we urge you to consider the following questions:
Do you have comprehensive and up-to-date employment information for your donors, alumni, and other supporters?
And do you understand the vitality of these insights for your school’s overall fundraising?

By effectively sourcing and utilizing employment data, colleges and universities can create more personalized and compelling fundraising campaigns⁠—not to mention, target invaluable workplace giving opportunities.

In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of employment data, recommended methods for sourcing the information, and strategies for leveraging the insights in your fundraising.

If you’re looking for a way to bring your institution’s fundraising and engagement to new heights, comprehensive donor employment information is the tool you need.

Ready to get started? Let’s begin.

Why Does Employment Data Matter in Higher Ed Fundraising?

The more you know about your donors, the better you can engage them in your fundraising. Employment data in particular plays a crucial role in maximizing support for higher education. By providing insights into the professional networks and financial capacities of alumni and other supporters, you can significantly enhance targeted fundraising strategies, identify lucrative company giving opportunities, and more.

In essence, employment data equips higher education institutions like yours with the information needed to establish and grow stronger relationships with supporters⁠—individual and corporate alike. However, it’s important to take a proactive approach to continuously source new data rather than relying on stale or outdated insights. To uncover the most lucrative opportunities available to your team, you’ll want to ensure employment data accuracy as you gather the information.

6 Ways for Colleges and Universities to Uncover Employment Data

Do you lack complete or updated employment data for your donors? No worries! There are a number of ways for colleges and universities to gain access to this information.

To get the most complete picture of your school’s supporters, we recommend enlisting multiple of the following methods.

1) Donation form fields

Incorporating employment-related fields into donation forms allows colleges to directly collect information about a donor’s employer at the point of donation.

While a simple, optional form field encouraging users to supply their company name will suffice, we recommend embedding an employer search tool in your giving page instead. This way, users are prompted to enter their company name in an embedded form widget connected to a comprehensive database with information on thousands of companies’ giving programs.

Fun fact: 73% of donors will use a matching gift search field on a donation form when presented with the opportunity.

Uncover employment information for higher ed fundraising with a dontaion form tool.

2) Confirmation screens

Confirmation screen search tools can also be used to collect employment data after an individual hits “submit” on their gift. This approach ensures each donor is met with multiple opportunities to provide the information, making the process a seamless and efficient one.

Uncover employment information for higher ed fundraising with a confirmation page tool.

3) Data appends

Even after implementing the above methods to uncover employment information, a number of contacts in your database are likely to have some gaps. For this, a third-party data enhancement service might be the exact answer you’re looking for to help clean up your historical data.

All your team has to do is select an employer appends provider, supply the company with the information you do have on your donors, and they’ll fill in as much of the data as possible using a combination of public and privately held data sources.

Uncover employment information for higher ed fundraising with employer appends.

4) Email domain screening

Donors giving online are generally prompted to supply an email address so your institution can keep in touch. When an individual provides their corporate or work email address, it can offer powerful clues about their employers.

For example, you can determine that a gift made using an email ending in “@company.com” likely comes from an employee within the company.

Uncover employment information for higher ed fundraising with email domain screening.

5) Donor outreach

If, at this point, you’re still missing employer data, we recommend going straight to the source. Engaging donors directly through automated outreach is an easy, low-lift way to uncover additional employment insights⁠—especially using 360MatchPro’s prewritten email cadences.

Soon after a donor gives, simply follow up and encourage them to share the name of their employer and look into any available giving programs they may offer.

Uncover employment information for higher ed fundraising with donor outreach.

6) Online research

While more time-consuming, utilizing online resources such as LinkedIn, other networking platforms, or company websites is another way to gather employment information about donors.

Top tip: Due to the manual approach it requires, we recommend retaining online research for your highest-value donors and prospects.

Uncover employment information for higher ed fundraising with online research.

Supercharge fundraising with employment data for higher education.

How to Use Donor Employment Info to Boost Higher Ed Fundraising

Once you’ve built out your donor profiles with accurate and up-to-date employment information, you have what you need to initiate a data-driven fundraising plan. Check out the following tips to maximize your potential and empower your college or university with a stronger, more well-informed strategy.

Data-Driven Tip #1: Personalize communications.

Personalized engagements strengthen donor relations by facilitating a more meaningful connection. Customizing fundraising outreach with details specific to each recipient is a great way to make your communications stand out in supporters’ minds.

This can be as simple as addressing an individual by name in your greeting. However, it can also involve more advanced fields, such as referring to a donor’s employing company in relevant messaging.

Check out these examples: “More than 20 of your colleagues at Carl’s Computer Company support our school through your employer’s giving program. Will you consider joining them to give back to your alma mater?”

“Did you know your employing company offers a generous VTO program? That means you and your colleagues can receive paid time off work to volunteer with our institution!”

Data-Driven Tip #2: Estimate wealth data and capacity to give.

Donors’ employment data can also provide powerful insights into an individual’s potential wealth⁠ level—and, therefore, their approximate capacity to give. Not to mention, data append services often supply information about an individual’s job title or status, providing additional details to inform your fundraising strategy. This information allows institutions to identify major gift prospects, craft tailored appeals, and encourage larger gift amounts.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you determine that an existing donor holds an executive-level position at a lucrative and rapidly growing tech company. From that data, you glean insights into their expected salary range, and adjust your recommended donation ask accordingly.

Data-Driven Tip #3: Identify and pursue matching gift opportunities.

Matching gifts are a leading form of corporate giving. Yet despite their potential, more than $4 to $7 billion worth of matching gift funds go unclaimed each year. Your school likely qualifies for a significant amount of match revenue, and if you want to maximize these programs’ potential, knowing where your donors work is a must.

Donor employment data helps fundraising institutions identify employers that offer matching gift programs. This allows them to promote these opportunities effectively, encouraging donors to double or even triple their contributions.

Here’s an example: “Your employer, Pat’s Pet Supply Co., offers a generous matching gift program⁠—and your most recent donation likely qualifies for a match. By completing a brief online form, you can double the impact of your gift for our school to help us achieve [goal or project]!”

Data-Driven Tip #4: Encourage corporate volunteerism.

Tons of companies offer generous volunteer incentives⁠—such as Dollars for Doers or paid volunteer time off⁠—as a way to encourage their staff to give back of their time. Understanding donors’ corporate affiliations can enable schools like yours to uncover such opportunities and ensure supporters are well-informed.

By offering specialized volunteer opportunities that align with a company’s culture and values, your college or university can encourage volunteers to contribute their time and expertise through their company-sponsored program.

Here’s an example: “Businesses like Really Great Company offer generous grant funding to the organizations their employees volunteer with. Make your volunteer efforts count twice for our school and get involved with [upcoming event or program]!”

Data-Driven Tip #5: Facilitate prospective sponsor conversations.

Beyond existing employee-led giving programs, donor employment data can also help identify opportunities for new, broader corporate partnerships. How? The best partnerships are built around shared audiences⁠—so knowing where supporters work can be instrumental.

You can even encourage donors or alumni to facilitate a warm introduction between your team and their employer to break the ice!

Here’s an example: “In the past year, your company has matched more than 30 employee donations to our school. We are so grateful for the support, and we see an opportunity to expand our mutually beneficial partnership. Will you consider sponsoring our upcoming fundraising event?”

Top Employers with Workplace Giving Programs for Higher Education

Once you know which companies your donors work for, you can use the information to uncover the most valuable workplace giving opportunities in your network. But, in order to do so, you’ll need to be familiar with the companies that offer these programs.

We recommend investing in a corporate giving database (like Double the Donation) to gain access to thousands of companies’ program materials. In the meantime, we’ve compiled a list of ten employers with standout matching gift, volunteer grant, and VTO programs your team should know.

COMPANY NAME

MATCHING GIFTS?

VOLUNTEER GRANTS?

VOLUNTEER TIME OFF?

Allstate Insurance
DTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_Allstate

YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $10 – $1,000
Match ratio: 1:1

 YES ✔️

$500 per 8 hours of service

YES ✔️

Skills-based volunteer days

Cisco SystemsDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_Cisco

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $1 – $25,000
Match ratio: .25:1

 YES ✔️

$10 per hour of service

 YES ✔️

80 hours per year

Ernst & YoungDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_EY

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $100 – $1,000
Match ratio: 1:1

 Not at this time ❌ YES ✔️

Quarterly days of service

AramarkDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_Aramark

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $50 – $2,000
Match ratio: 1:1

 Not at this time ❌ YES ✔️

Annual day of service

Intuit Inc.DTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_Intuit

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $15 – $5,000
Match ratio: 1:1

 YES ✔️

$250 grants

 YES ✔️

32 hours per year

DeloitteDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_Deloitte

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $50 – $32,500
Match ratio: 1:1

 Not at this time ❌ YES ✔️

8 hours per year

GM FinancialDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_GM

 Not at this time ❌ YES ✔️

$10 per hour of service

 YES ✔️

32 hours per year

Capital GroupDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_Capital Group

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $25 – $5,000
Match ratio: 2:1

 YES ✔️

$100 per 10 hours of service

 Not at this time ❌

Warner MediaDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_Warner

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $10 – $1,000
Match ratio: 1:1

 YES ✔️

$10 per hour of service

 YES ✔️

40 hours per year

AppleDTD_Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Education_pple

 YES ✔️

Donation threshold: $1 – $10,000
Match ratio: 1:1

 YES ✔️

$25 per hour of service

 Not at this time ❌

Supercharge fundraising with employment data for higher education.

Wrapping Up & Additional Data-Driven Fundraising Resources

Employment data is a strategic tool for powering higher education fundraising⁠—from personalized engagement efforts to tailored workplace giving initiatives. When sourced and leveraged effectively, this information can shed light on groundbreaking opportunities, guiding your efforts as you enlist support from existing donors and their employers alike.

Interested in learning more about workplace giving opportunities for your college or university? Check out our recommended further reading below:

Supercharge fundraising with employment data for higher education.

Funraisin Chooses 360MatchPro by Double the Donation for Advanced Matching Gifts Automation

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Double the Donation and Funraisin are proud to announce a new partnership that answers the call for advanced integrated matching technology. With the new integration between 360MatchPro by Double the Donation and Funraisin’s innovative giving experiences, guiding eligible donors to completing their match is easier than ever.

“Matching gifts is one of those rare elements that makes sense for organizations of any size. It has earned a rightful place as a permanent fixture in any nonprofit tech stack,” said Lance Melton, General Manager of North America at Funraisin. “We’re excited to continue our support of our U.S. based nonprofit partners through a powerful integration with Double the Donation’s tools.”

The integration allows donors to discover their match eligibility while they’re in the process of giving. Instead of entering plain text in a field for nonprofits to manage manually and chase after later, donors can find their company name from the Double the Donation database with 360MatchPro’s autocomplete search field. 

“We’re excited to see how Funraisin and 360MatchPro users will grow their matching gift revenue with a direct integration,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Powerful fundraising tools plus advanced matching gift software always equals success for our nonprofit clients.”

The Funraisin and 360MatchPro integration is now accessible for mutual client use. Follow our integration guide for information on how to get connected.

Ready to get started with Double the Donation to add matching gifts to the donation experience? Request a demo with us and make sure to share you’re a Funraisin user!Want additional resources to help you take your matching gifts strategy to the next level? Enroll today in our Matching Gift Academy for in-depth content about growing your matching gift revenue.

About Funraisin: Funraisin powers innovative fundraising for thousands of charities worldwide and is known for its highly flexible web platform empowering customers to deliver personalized fundraising experiences at scale across P2P, DIY, Giving Days, Appeals, Shop sales, Raffles, and more. Organizations can create beautiful web pages and fundraiser dashboards that reward and recognize fundraising achievements. Built-in behavioral messaging drives conversion rates, which ties back to deep integrations with CRM and marketing automation tools you already use, supported with free 24hr weekday access to Funraisin’s in-house team of passionate fundraising software experts. 

About Double the Donation: Automate your matching gift fundraising with the industry-leading solution from Double the Donation. The 360MatchPro platform provides nonprofits and educational institutions with tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights. 360MatchPro integrates directly into donation forms, CRMs, social fundraising software, and other nonprofit technology solutions, and even partners with select CSR platforms to further streamline matching gifts for donors. Through 360MatchPro by Double the Donation, the matching gift process has never been simpler.

Justify Your Trip to the Matching Gift Summit [Free Template for Higher Education]

Justify Your Trip to the Matching Gift Summit [Template for Higher Ed]

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Fundraising conferences can offer transformative experiences for higher education advancement professionals, supplying opportunities for networking, skill development, and exclusive insights into industry trends. However, securing approval and funding for such trips often requires a well-crafted justification. And, if you’re interested in attending Double the Donation’s upcoming Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit (hint: you should!), we’ve provided a handy template to help convince your boss of the value your trip would supply.

First things first…What is the Matching Gift Summit?

Matching gifts can be an incredible yet often untapped source of fundraising support for nonprofits, universities, and other fundraising organizations. In matching gift programs, corporations match donations that their employees make to charitable organizations. According to recent matching gift statistics, $2-3 billion is donated annually through matching gift programs, but an estimated $4-$7 billion is left unclaimed.

Double the Donation’s goal is to assist organizations in securing the matching gift revenue available to them. This includes resources provided in our Matching Gift Summit, matching gift automation platform, and more.

Specifically, the Summit is dedicated to sharing matching gift best practices, resources, success stories, and more to help higher education institutions manage this fundraising channel more effectively. Attendees will learn about forming strong business partnerships and earning valuable corporate sponsorships to support their projects, events, programs, and more.

And why should I represent my school at the event?

“Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Summit is invaluable for corporate philanthropy professionals. I would recommend this event to anyone who is interested in growing their matching gift fundraising. The Summit has served as an incredibly helpful resource for our team as we have implemented insights and learnings from the event into our matching gift fundraising strategy.”

— Ariana Romanelli, Lead Associate, Corporate Partnerships at Save the Children

If that’s not enough of a reason, attending Double the Donation’s Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit is hands down the best way for your team to gain insights into emerging industry trends, identify and adapt to shared challenges in workplace giving, source insights from fundraising peers, and more.

The summit will offer uniquely insightful discussions focusing on enhancing corporate giving strategies, providing advanced techniques to optimize your programs and engage corporate partners more effectively. Plus, networking events provide opportunities to build meaningful connections with nonprofit leaders, CSR professionals, and industry experts alike.

Now, email your boss! Free template to justify your trip

Subject: Matching Gift Summit – Great opportunity for our team

Dear [insert manager’s name],

I’d like to get your approval to attend the Matching Gift Summit, Double the Donation’s premier matching gift event, in Atlanta, GA from October 1st – 3rd. 

The event would be a win-win: my goal in attending is to make sure we’re getting the maximum dollars possible from matching gifts, plus attending would be a great professional development opportunity for me personally. 

Here are some ways [your institution] would benefit from my attendance: 

  • [If relevant] Making the most of our Double the Donation: since all sessions are dedicated to workplace giving and matching gifts I’ll learn more about how to use 360MatchPro to its full capacity. 
  • Increasing our matching gift revenue: the event is designed to send professionals home with actionable next steps to raise more money via matching gifts. 
  • Avoiding challenges: the summit brings together professionals from similar schools, I’ll be able to hear how others have managed the challenges we currently face.
  • Growing our network: This is one of the largest, if not the largest, gathering of professionals who specifically work on Matching Gifts, so I’ll have the opportunity to build our network with peers from other organizations.

Here’s an approximate breakdown of the costs: 

  • Registration: $650
  • Airfare: [insert]
  • Hotel: $195 per night (if we secure the room block provided by Double the Donation at the Georgian Terrace- the conference location)
  • Any meals, not covered in conference pass: $50 (most meals are covered)
  • Total: [insert] 

After the Matching Gift Summit, I’ll submit a post-conference report with major takeaways and learnings so I can share everything I absorbed at the conference with other team members, and potentially the larger organization. 

Thank you for considering my request. Looking forward to your reply. 

[NAME]

Next steps: Secure your spot today!

Check out the official event landing page!


SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY! Join us at Double the Donation's Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit for Higher Education   📅 Oct 01 – 03, 2024  
Justify Your Trip to the Matching Gift Summit [Free Template]

Justify Your Trip to the Matching Gift Summit [Free Template]

/in /by

Nonprofit conferences can offer transformative experiences for fundraising professionals, establishing opportunities for networking, skill development, and exclusive insights into industry trends. However, securing approval and funding for such trips often requires a well-crafted justification. And, if you’re interested in attending Double the Donation’s upcoming Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit (hint: you should!), we’ve provided a handy template to help convince your boss of the value your trip would supply.

First things first…What is the Matching Gift Summit?

Matching gifts can be an incredible yet often untapped source of fundraising support for nonprofits, universities, and other fundraising organizations. In matching gift programs, corporations match donations that their employees make to charitable organizations. According to recent matching gift statistics, $2-3 billion is donated annually through matching gift programs, but an estimated $4-$7 billion is left unclaimed.

Double the Donation’s goal is to assist organizations in securing the matching gift revenue available to them. This includes resources provided in our Matching Gift Summit, matching gift automation platform, and more.

Specifically, the Summit is dedicated to sharing matching gift best practices, resources, success stories, and more to help 501(c)(3) nonprofits and K-12 schools manage this fundraising channel more effectively. Attendees will learn about forming strong business partnerships and earning valuable corporate sponsorships to support their projects, events, programs, and more.

And why should I represent my organization at the event?

“Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Summit is invaluable for corporate philanthropy professionals. I would recommend this event to anyone who is interested in growing their matching gift fundraising. The Summit has served as an incredibly helpful resource for our team as we have implemented insights and learnings from the event into our matching gift fundraising strategy.”

— Ariana Romanelli, Lead Associate, Corporate Partnerships at Save the Children

If that’s not enough of a reason, attending Double the Donation’s Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit is hands down the best way for your team to gain insights into emerging industry trends, identify and adapt to shared challenges in workplace giving, source insights from fundraising peers, and more.

The summit will offer uniquely insightful discussions focusing on enhancing corporate giving strategies, providing advanced techniques to optimize your programs and engage corporate partners more effectively. Plus, networking events provide opportunities to build meaningful connections with nonprofit leaders, CSR professionals, and industry experts alike.

Now, email your boss! Free template to justify your trip

Subject: Matching Gift Summit – Great opportunity for our team

Dear [insert manager’s name],

I’d like to get your approval to attend the Matching Gift Summit, Double the Donation’s premier matching gift event, in Atlanta, GA from September 29th – October 1st. 

The event would be a win-win: my goal in attending is to make sure we’re getting the maximum dollars possible from matching gifts, plus attending would be a great professional development opportunity for me personally. 

Here are some ways [your organization] would benefit from my attendance: 

  • [If relevant] Making the most of our Double the Donation: since all sessions are dedicated to workplace giving and matching gifts I’ll learn more about how to use 360MatchPro to its full capacity. 
  • Increasing our matching gift revenue: the event is designed to send professionals home with actionable next steps to raise more money via matching gifts. 
  • Avoiding challenges: the summit brings together professionals from similar organizations, I’ll be able to hear how others have managed the challenges we currently face
  • Growing our network: This is one of the largest, if not the largest, gathering of professionals who specifically work on Matching Gifts, so I’ll have the opportunity to build our network with peers from other organizations.

Here’s an approximate breakdown of the costs: 

  • Registration: $650
  • Airfare: [insert]
  • Hotel: $195 per night (if we secure the room block provided by Double the Donation at the Georgian Terrace- the conference location)
  • Any meals, not covered in conference pass: $50 (most meals are covered)
  • Total: [insert] 

After the Matching Gift Summit, I’ll submit a post-conference report with major takeaways and learnings so I can share everything I absorbed at the conference with other team members, and potentially the larger organization. 

Thank you for considering my request. Looking forward to your reply. 

[NAME]

Next steps: Secure your spot today!

Check out the official event landing page!


SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY! Join us at Double the Donation's Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit for Nonprofits and K-12 Schools   📅 Sep 29 – Oct 01, 2024  

Tracking Volunteer Time Off: A How-To Guide [& Template]

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In today’s competitive landscape, nonprofits are constantly looking for new ways to attract and retain dedicated volunteers. Fortunately, one way to incentivize and enhance engagement in volunteer activities involves rallying volunteers to participate in their employers’ Volunteer Time Off programs. In order to do so effectively, your organization will first need to establish a system for tracking volunteer time off.

That’s where this guide comes in!

VTO offers volunteers flexibility from professional commitments by freeing up their time to support their favorite causes. By leveraging these programs in your engagement efforts, your organization can create a supportive environment that values and encourages volunteers’ time.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Read on to gain the tools and knowledge needed to seamlessly track VTO for your organization and its supporters. Discover practical tips designed to streamline the experience, ensuring your dedicated volunteers feel valued and empowered to continue their support.

What is Volunteer Time Off Tracking?

Businesses with generous employee volunteer incentives, such as paid VTO hours, often require an established process for staff to request and track their volunteer time off. While it can vary from one company to the next, the process of tracking volunteer time generally involves two key components:

  • A request for time off, completed and submitted by the employee to the company before the volunteer event
  • A detailed hour-tracking log, completed and submitted by the employee (and sometimes verified by the organization) to the company after the volunteer event

Depending on the company a volunteer works for, the specific steps they’ll take⁠ and the tools they’ll use to track their time can differ. This may range from a Google Form or paper sign-in sheet to a complete Human Resources Information System (HRIS) or corporate Volunteer Management Software (VMS).

Here’s what a few employers’ policies say about tracking volunteer time off:

Sample volunteer time off tracking policy“Employees must receive prior approval from their supervisor before using paid time off for external volunteer activities.  Requests for external volunteer paid time off should be made in writing and with reasonable advance notice.”
— ASU Enterprise Technology

 

Sample volunteer time off tracking policy“VTO must be requested 30 days in advance and approved by the immediate supervisor. The supervisor will review the request and confirm or deny approval. The department may require acceptable proof that VTO time taken is within the purpose of this policy.”
— Baylor College of Medicine

 

Sample volunteer time off tracking policy“VTO leave is to be used exclusively for volunteer activities, and employees will be required to submit written confirmation from the non-profit organization of their volunteer time to their supervisor within one business day to be paid. The Workday system will be updated to allow management to properly classify this time as VTO.”
⁠— City of Akron

 

Sample volunteer time off tracking policy“Upon completion of volunteering, the employee must complete the online Volunteer Time Off Tracking Form within three business days of the time off (hourly employees will also use VOL when tracking their hours in Kronos).”
— Dartmouth

Benefits of Tracking Volunteer Time Off For Nonprofits

Tracking volunteer hours for corporate Volunteer Time Off programs offers numerous advantages for organizations. This is especially true as they aim to ramp up the impact of their volunteer programs by effectively utilizing VTO.

Here are some key benefits:

Benefits of tracking volunteer time off

Streamlining the VTO Request Process ⁠— When volunteer hours are tracked effectively and efficiently, it simplifies the process for volunteers to receive their paid-out time. The more positive their workplace giving experience is, the more inclined they’ll be to participate in other giving programs down the line!

Verifying Volunteers’ VTO Requests ⁠— Some companies will want your organization to confirm the accuracy of their employees’ volunteer hour requests. Effective time-tracking practices make it easy for your team to do so with verifiable documentation, thereby establishing a sense of transparency while reducing the administrative lift required.

Ensuring Accurate Reimbursement — Proper hour-tracking ensures that volunteers are reimbursed accurately for their time. When financial roadblocks are removed, your volunteers will be more likely to support your efforts again and again.

Identifying Volunteer Grant Opportunities ⁠— There’s often an overlap between companies offering VTO and companies offering volunteer grants (or Dollars for Doers). That means some of your volunteers’ companies might even be willing to contribute grant funding to your organization, depending on the number of hours their employees spend with your cause. With effective time-tracking practices in place for your volunteer base, you can uncover opportunities to further engage your supporters and receive additional revenue through the programs.

Volunteer Time Off Metrics Your Nonprofit Should Track

As you begin implementing your plan for tracking volunteer time off, it’s important to understand which metrics your organization should be focusing on. We recommend selecting a few KPIs (or key performance indicators) that can help your team narrow its efforts and measure its successes.

These could include…

  • Total number of volunteers receiving VTO. The total count of volunteers who have been granted and utilized VTO by their employers within a specific period.
    • Example: 15 Cat Rescue Club volunteers participated in their employers’ VTO programs in a single year.
  • VTO eligibility rate. The portion of volunteers who qualify for Volunteer Time Off programs through their employers. To calculate the percentage, simply divide the total number of volunteers by the number of VTO-eligible volunteers; then, multiply by 100.
    • Example: Out of 50 regular volunteers, 20 individuals were identified as working for companies with VTO programs. That puts the eligibility rate at 40%!
  • VTO hours by program or activity. The total number of Volunteer Time Off hours logged by volunteers for specific projects, activities, or initiatives.
    • Example: Of the 15 volunteers receiving paid time to volunteer through their employers, 10 individuals contributed 100 hours to pet care, while 5 contributed 30 hours to fundraising or marketing-related programming.
  • Average number of VTO hours per volunteer. The average number of VTO hours taken by each volunteer within a specific timeframe. To calculate this figure, divide the total number of VTO hours by the number of volunteers utilizing VTO.
    • Example: If 15 volunteers spent a total of 130 hours supporting your cause through their VTO programs, the average number of VTO hours spent per person comes to 8.6 hours.
  • The estimated value of VTO support. The total monetary value of volunteer hours contributed through VTO programs. To estimate the monetary value, multiply the total number of VTO hours by the standard hourly rate for volunteer time (~$33.49).
    • Example: At the standard hourly rate, 130 hours donated through VTO programs produces a value of approximately $500 for your organization.
  • VTO volunteer retention rate. The percentage of VTO-participating volunteers who continue to donate their time over multiple periods through a VTO program.
    • Example: If 5 of the 15 VTO-participating volunteers donate their time again the following year, the retention rate would be 33.3%.

Tracking Volunteer Time Off with a metrics dashboard

Types of Tools For Tracking Volunteer Time Off

Nonprofits have a few different options for tracking Volunteer Time Off, each with its own unique set of pros and cons. While the best kind of tool for your organization will depend on your team’s wants and needs, here’s a breakdown of the most common types:

  • Manual tracking systems, such as Google Forms, spreadsheets, or written logs. These tools are generally free to use, making them accessible for nonprofits with limited budgets. However, functionality is fairly limited, and organizations are required to devote more time to overhead as a result.

Tracking Volunteer Time Off with a request form

  • Volunteer management software, including solutions for automated tracking, reporting, and communication. Plus, it enhances the volunteer experience, making it easier than ever to sign up for shifts and track their time. You can even look for a VMS with corporate partnership functionality, too!

Tracking Volunteer Time Off with a VMS

  • Human Resources Information Systems, or HRIS, which often facilitate philanthropy through a company’s payroll or HR portals. This is generally where individuals would request other forms of paid time off, too, making it a conveniently located opportunity.

Tracking Volunteer Time Off with a HRIS

  • Corporate giving database tools, like Double the Donation! While not actively a volunteer management system, 360MatchPro Volunteer Hub makes it easy for organizations and their volunteers to access program guidelines and company-specific instructions for tracking time.
  • Tracking Volunteer Time Off is easier with detailed program records

Overall, choosing the right platform for tracking Volunteer Time Off depends on your nonprofit’s size, budget, and specific needs. Assess your organization’s resources and requirements to select the most suitable and effective solution for managing VTO and enhancing volunteer engagement.

Either way, it’s crucial that you ensure your team (and its volunteers) are equipped with the best tools to provide the best user experience. The easier it is for volunteer time to be tracked, the higher participation rates you can expect to see through the programs!

Bonus! Free Template For Tracking Volunteer Time Off

Ready to get started? Below is a template your team can use to document volunteers’ time as they engage with your organization.

We recommend exploring dedicated software to streamline and simplify the time-tracking process. However, the following log will provide a foundation for accurate record-keeping, growing engagement, and increased transparency in collaborations.

Basic Volunteer Time Off (VTO) Tracking Template

Organization Name: _______________________________________
Volunteer Role (position or activity): ____________________________

Volunteer Name: _________________________________________
Volunteer Email Address (work email): __________________________
Volunteer Phone Number: ___________________________________

—

VTO Pre-Approval Request Form

Date of Request: [MM/DD/YYYY]

Date(s) of VTO Activity: [MM/DD/YYYY]
Total VTO Hours Requested: __________

Description of activity/Reason for VTO: _______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

—

Volunteer Time-Tracking Log

Name Activity Date Check-In Check-Out Total # Hours

Hour Verification by Nonprofit: ☐
Volunteer Supervisor Signature: ______________________________________

💡 Get a free downloadable version of the VTO hour-tracking template here!

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Whether you’re looking to identify existing volunteers or expand your network with new prospects, an efficient tracking mechanism is crucial. This makes it easy for individuals to participate in their employers’ programming, thus incentivizing ongoing involvement. Plus, it can also drastically reduce the overhead required of your team to manage the initiatives. In doing so, you foster a culture of community and support.

A well-structured VTO program can be a powerful tool for attracting new volunteers, retaining existing ones, and advancing your mission. Embrace the opportunity to support your devoted volunteers, and watch as your nonprofit continues to thrive.

Interested in learning more about tracking volunteer time off and other ways to maximize your corporate and individual engagement? Check out these recommended resources:


Scale up your organization's corporate volunteer strategy with 360MatchPro 💡

A Deep Dive into Marketing Volunteer Time Off for Nonprofits

A Deep Dive into Marketing Volunteer Time Off for Nonprofits

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Paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) programs continue to gain traction as companies boost their CSR while engaging employees in meaningful community activities. These initiatives not only reflect a company’s commitment to social impact but also empower organizations to make the most of their volunteer base. However, despite the growing prevalence of VTO, there’s a significant knowledge gap regarding workplace giving initiatives⁠—even among eligible supporters. And that’s where a well-thought-out plan for marketing volunteer time off to your audience will come in handy!

In this post, we’ll dive into the world of Volunteer Time Off for nonprofits and share key recommendations for effectively promoting VTO. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Read on to explore the transformative impact corporate volunteer initiatives like these can have on your organization, its mission, and your community as a whole.

Let’s get started!

What Is Volunteer Time Off?

Volunteer Time Off (which is also referred to as VTO, paid-release volunteer time, or employer-sponsored volunteerism) is a unique benefit that allows employees to spend typical work hours volunteering with charitable causes. This type of program supplies additional time off, above and beyond any existing vacation or sick leave, and is specifically designated for team members to participate in volunteer activities.

Marketing volunteer time off programs - example dashboard

VTO programs vary among companies in terms of eligibility criteria, time off granted, submission processes, and more. Some companies offer a set number of VTO hours per year, while others allow employees to use VTO on a flexible basis. The types of volunteer activities permitted can also range from community service projects to skills-based volunteerism and more.

Why Does Marketing Volunteer Time Off Matter?

As a form of corporate partnership, the purpose of Volunteer Time Off is multi-fold. First, the programs enable companies to demonstrate commitment to social responsibility and engage employees in meaningful ways. At the same time, employees are presented with a unique opportunity to give back to their communities and support their favorite causes—like yours⁠—without missing a day’s wages. This fulfills individuals’ desires to make a positive impact and fosters a sense of purpose in their work inside and outside the office.

For nonprofits, the availability of volunteer time off widens the prospective supporter pool, incentivizing individual involvement and significantly increasing engagement. However, many employees are unaware of the VTO programs offered by their employers, leading to a missed opportunity for companies and nonprofits alike.

That’s why marketing the programs is so essential, and why organizations like yours are taking increasingly proactive steps to drive awareness among their audiences. When done well, simply highlighting VTO opportunities in donor- and volunteer-facing materials will allow you to bridge the knowledge gap and unlock a new avenue for community involvement.

Get 360MatchPro to assist with marketing volunteer time off and other corporate incentives.

10 Top Strategies For Marketing Volunteer Time Off at Your Org

Crafting a Volunteer Time Off marketing plan is essential for organizations looking to supercharge volunteerism and engage supporters with corporate incentives. So, how, specifically, will you increase awareness of the programs among your audience to maximize participation? We recommend implementing the following strategies and best practices in your efforts.

1. Establish Volunteer Time Off metrics and KPIs to track.

When it comes to marketing just about anything⁠—including volunteer time off⁠ and other corporate giving programs—determining which KPIs⁠ (or Key Performance Indicators⁠) your team will track is an essential first step. Implementing the appropriate metrics in your promotional plan allows you to measure the effectiveness of your VTO program and identify opportunities for improvement in your strategy.

These might include:

  • Volunteer participation rates
  • Number of existing volunteers using VTO
  • Number of first-time volunteers using VTO
  • Total number of hours donated through VTO programs
  • Average number of VTO hours used by volunteers
  • Number of companies offering VTO for your volunteers
  • VTO volunteer retention rate
  • Tangible project impact
  • Digital engagement (email clicks, social media likes, etc.)

By tracking these indicators and more, you can supercharge your efforts with data-driven decisions, demonstrate the program’s value to stakeholders, and optimize volunteer engagement. And that will set you up for successful marketing as you begin promoting the opportunities to supporters.

By tracking these indicators and more, you can supercharge your efforts with data-driven decisions, demonstrate the program’s value to stakeholders, and optimize volunteer engagement. And that will set you up for successful marketing as you begin promoting the opportunities to supporters.

P.S. It’s easy to track these metrics and more with 360MatchPro Volunteer Hub!

2. Look at examples of other organizations’ VTO marketing efforts.

If your organization has yet to begin promoting volunteer time off to your audience, it can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not sure where to start. Fortunately, studying successful examples from your peers and other organizations’ VTO marketing efforts can provide valuable insights and inspiration.

Take a look at the following web pages from two nonprofits sharing information about Volunteer Time Off programs with their supporters:

Example #1

Example of an organization marketing volunteer time off

Example #2

Example of an organization marketing volunteer time off

Each one provides an essential overview of the opportunity, and analyzing their strategies can help identify best practices, innovative ideas, and common pitfalls to avoid.

3. Provide an overview of VTO basics on your nonprofit website.

As the examples showcase above, one of the best ways to promote volunteer time off to your supporters is to share information about the programs on your nonprofit or school’s website. After all, your website is an invaluable resource for volunteers and donors looking to get further involved with your organization. It makes sense for VTO to be a featured opportunity!

If you already have a Volunteers’ page on your site, be sure to add a blurb about Volunteer Time Off there⁠—along with instructions on how individuals can locate their companies’ guidelines. You can also include information on your workplace giving or “Ways to Give” pages or even dedicate a brand new page to all things VTO.

Regardless, a clear and concise overview can serve as an essential incentive for volunteer engagement. By making this information easily accessible on your site, you can educate visitors, encourage more individuals to take advantage of VTO, and reduce barriers to participation.

Top tip: Once you have VTO content live on your website, use Google’s Ad Grants program to promote the page to a wider audience at no cost!

4. Share impact-focused volunteer time off content on social media.

Another way to spread the word about Volunteer Time Off programs is by sharing information from your organization’s social media profiles. For the best results, the content you publish should highlight the benefits of volunteerism on your cause and emphasize the convenience with which individuals can support your efforts.

Try scheduling a combination of informational content, mission impact stories, volunteer testimonials, statistics and research, participating companies, step-by-step instructions, and more. Across all your posts, keep in mind platform-specific best practices, such as regarding multimedia materials, hashtags, linking strategies, and more.

Remember: Social media is a powerful tool. Use it to show supporters how they can do even more to move your mission forward in tangible, hands-on ways. As a result, you can amplify your organization’s message, attract new supporters, and build a growing community around your cause.

5. Source employment information from volunteers and donors.

In order to locate opportunities for supporters to take VTO while volunteering with your cause, you’ll need access to their employment data. It should be a no-brainer that you’ll want to know where your volunteers work⁠. However, you shouldn’t overlook the VTO potential of your donors, either! Most organizations’ donors and volunteers overlap by a significant amount⁠—and volunteer incentives like VTO can help encourage even more donors to give their time.

So, how can you get the information if it’s not already available? One of the easiest ways is to request employment data directly within your volunteer registration forms, donation pages, and more. However, other identification methods may include the usage of a matching gift company search tool, email domain screening, data appends service, and more.

6. Inform volunteers about VTO opportunities within onboarding.

Make sure volunteers are familiar with the idea of volunteer time off from the start of their engagement to ensure available opportunities do not go unclaimed. For this, we recommend incorporating VTO information directly within the onboarding or training processes.

This approach helps set expectations, drives immediate engagement, and encourages volunteers to see if they qualify. Early education about VTO can also enhance volunteer retention and satisfaction by making it easy for eligible supporters to get paid while supporting your cause!

7. Send personalized follow-ups after volunteer activities.

Personalized follow-ups help build a stronger relationship between each volunteer and the nonprofits they support, thus increasing the likelihood of ongoing engagement and retention. As you begin implementing a plan for marketing volunteer time off for your cause, you don’t want to overlook the power of personalized communication.

Here’s how this can work:

Let’s say your organization gains a new volunteer who works for Warner Media, which you know offers a generous amount of VTO. After the individual’s first volunteer shift, you decide to send a tailored thank-you note. The note should demonstrate your appreciation of the individual’s support and remind them about their company’s volunteer incentives.

When the individual reads the message, they’re ultimately inspired to complete the request process for their employer to count their hours toward the Volunteer Time Off program.

If you have access to program guidelines or submission instructions, that information can help simplify the experience for your volunteer, too!

8. Encourage VTO-eligible supporters to organize group events.

One of the most impactful ways to promote volunteer time off is by leaning into word-of-mouth marketing. To demonstrate the value, let’s say the same volunteer continues supporting your organization with their VTO. You already know the individual works for a company that offers volunteer time off for its employees. One of the best ways to get more VTO-eligible supporters through your doors is to empower existing volunteers to organize group events with their peers.

If Volunteer A receives dedicated VTO hours, it can be assumed that Volunteer A’s colleagues can likely request VTO, as well⁠. That means you’ll have a larger pool of individuals willing to do important work for your cause without facing the impact of a lost day’s wages.

Bonus: Free Sample Volunteer Time Off Marketing Materials

Ready to jump into marketing volunteer time off to your audience, but not sure where to begin? Feel free to use these sample graphics as a starting point.

Sample #1: General VTO Overview

Sample graphic for marketing volunteer time off

Here’s what this example does well:

With an attention-grabbing header and concluding with a clickable CTA button, this sample focuses on driving action among volunteers. When users click the button to learn more, they should be directed to a VTO resource on your site. There, it should overview the opportunity in detail and instruct supporters on how to determine their eligibility for the programs.

Sample #2: Informational Infographic

Sample graphic for marketing volunteer time off

Here’s what this example does well:

An infographic can be an excellent way to share tons of important information in an engaging and visually appealing manner. This sample content highlights a few key insights from our Volunteer Time Off statistics page, providing a helpful snapshot of the opportunity for nonprofits and their supporters.

Sample #3: Defining Volunteer Time Off

Sample graphic for marketing volunteer time off

Here’s what this example does well:

It’s important for your audience to have a solid understanding of VTO programs before you can expect them to participate. Therefore, starting at the beginning with an easy-to-understand definition allows you to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.

Sample #4: VTO Company Spotlight

VTO company spotlight example

Here’s what this example does well:

One of the best ways to ensure supporters understand the VTO opportunity is to highlight real examples of the programs. This sample marketing material does so well by sharing specific guidelines and insights regarding the highlighted company’s programming. Plus, it encourages the organization’s audience to self-identify as eligible for the particular program!

Wrapping Up & Next Steps: Start Growing VTO

Volunteer Time Off programs can drive significant social impact for nonprofits, their supporters, and the companies interested in giving back. As a result, the opportunity is not one that should be overstated.

Start by encouraging your audience to tap into VTO and other workplace giving initiatives. From there, your team can harness the power of employee volunteerism to advance its mission more effectively than ever before.

Interested in supercharging your organization’s corporate engagement strategy? Check out these recommended resources for further reading:

Marketing volunteer time off is an excellent way to leverage corporate philanthropy.


The Power of Email Domain Screening For Matching Gifts blog post feature

The Power of Email Domain Screening For Matching Gifts

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Find out how email domain screening can bring your organization’s matching gift fundraising to new heights.

Matching gifts supply a powerful revenue source that allows nonprofits to amplify individual generosity by leveraging corporate philanthropy. These programs, through which corporations match employees’ donations to charitable causes, hold immense potential for bolstering fundraising and driving growth.

However, despite the widespread availability of matching gift programs, nonprofits often struggle to fully capitalize on this funding channel. Many supporters remain unaware of the opportunity, and identifying eligible donors on your own can be a time-consuming process.

Fortunately, there are a few ways organizations can uncover match-eligible gifts in their donor base with varying levels of ease. In this guide, we’re going to focus on one in particular: email domain screening.

Table of Contents

By reading this guide, you’re already on your way to identifying and collecting more matching gifts. Now, let’s dive in to explore the role that email domain screening can play in this endeavor.

What is Email Domain Screening?

As donors give online, they’re generally asked to provide an email address within an organization’s donation form. While some choose to share a personal email (think: addresses ending in gmail.com, yahoo.com, outlook.com, etc.), others opt to use their business emails (e.g., name@company.com) to make their gifts.

This can be a great way to uncover match-eligible gifts using an email domain screening process.

Sample donation form with email domain screening implemented

So, how does it work? When it comes to uncovering matching gifts, email domain screening involves an organization (or a dedicated software solution it enlists) checking for donations made using corporate email addresses. 

Domain screening streamlines the identification of eligible donors using information your supporters are already sharing. In the end, it simplifies the matching gift process for donors and maximizes the funds your organization collects through the programs.

The Email Domain Screening Process

The better your team understands the email domain screening process, the more equipped you’ll be to boost your organization’s matching gift revenue. Take a look at the following walkthrough to learn more about each stage involved.

  • Step #1: Data Collection

    As donors give online, the software collects their personal information, including email addresses and other contact information. The system also captures employment-related data, such as the donor’s employer name, if provided, and the associated email domain.

  • Step #2: Domain Extraction

    The software extracts the domain part of each donor’s email address. For example, if a donor makes a gift using the email john.doe@homedepot.com, the extracted domain would be homedepot.com. From there, the organization can establish that the individual (likely) works for the Home Depot, and update its records accordingly.

  • Step #3: Database Matching

    From there, transaction records for individuals who do provide corporate emails are scanned against known matching gift suppliers. This is generally done using a matching gift database (complete with guidelines and documentation for thousands of participating companies) or a list of top companies to uncover vital employment and eligibility insights.

    Then, donors whose email domains match with participating companies are identified as potentially eligible for matching gifts!

  • Step #4: Retrieval of Company Info

    For each eligible donor, the organization or software retrieves employer-specific matching gift information. These insights generally include minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, submission deadlines, and direct links to online request forms based on the company extracted from the individual’s corporate email address.

  • Step #5: Personalized Donor Outreach

    Once matching gift information is retrieved, the organization or software solution generates targeted communications for eligible donors. (Hint: if you’re looking to save staff time, an automation tool is a must-have!)

    These communications should inform donors about their eligibility for matching gifts and provide guidance on how the recipient can initiate the matching gift process. Whenever possible, this should include instructions on how to submit a match, any relevant forms or links, and additional documentation required by the employer.

Email domain screening process

Supercharge matching gifts with email domain screening from Double the Donation.

How Email Domain Screening Uncovers More Matching Gifts

Email domain screening can significantly benefit an organization’s matching gift strategy. In fact, vetting donations made using a corporate email address can result in tons of new donors being flagged as matching gift eligible. All in all, that leads to more than a 1% increase in total revenue for nonprofits each year.

Let’s see what this means by the numbers for a few types of organizations:

  • Small nonprofits ⁠raising $100,000–$250,000 a year ⁠tend to see a return of $1,000 to $2,500 from email domain screening.
  • Medium nonprofits ⁠raising between $250,000 and $1 million a year ⁠⁠tend to see a return of $2,500 to $10,000 from email domain screening.
  • Large nonprofits ⁠raising over $1 million a year ⁠tend to see a return of $10,000 or more from email domain screening.

But the benefits don’t end there, either! In addition to direct financial returns, email domain screening also empowers fundraisers to…

  • Learn more about the supporters in their networks while building out increasingly well-rounded donor profiles
  • Encourage individual donors to take advantage of available corporate matching gift opportunities
  • Implement tailored communications using employment insights gathered from corporate email addresses
  • Maximize fundraising performance by streamlining the matching gift identification process
  • Allocate resources more efficiently, freeing up staff time to focus on other valuable fundraising and mission-relevant activities
  • Identify some of their most valuable corporate partners with which they share key audiences

Email domain screening helps identify matching gifts

The best part is that, with the right matching gift software, conducting an email domain screening requires little to no added effort from a nonprofit’s fundraising team. By enlisting this strategy to uncover more match-eligible gifts, organizations like yours can amplify their impact and achieve their goals more effectively than ever before.

Other Ways to Identify Matching Gift Opportunities

So far, we’ve talked a lot about email domain screening in this guide⁠. And while it’s a sound strategy for organizations looking to give their matching gift efforts a boost, it’s certainly not the only way to determine donors’ eligibility.

On average, nonprofits report that between 5% and 7% of donors use corporate email domains when completing their initial gifts. So, what can you do to supplement domain screening and engage with the remaining portion of your supporter base?

Let’s quickly walk through some other leading ways nonprofits can uncover matching gifts from within their networks. Keep in mind that the more screening mechanisms you enlist, the greater the likelihood that you’ll capture every opportunity without letting matches fall astray.

Enlisting multiple identification methods allows fundraisers to identify up to 30% more match-eligible donors.

Source: https://doublethedonation.com/matching-gift-statistics/

The benefits of using email domain screening along with other identification methods

1. Embed a company search tool on your donation form.

Make it as easy as possible for donors to provide employment information directly as they give⁠—even if they opt not to use a corporate email address. When an individual makes a contribution through your online donation form, ensure they encounter a field where they can input the name of the company they work for. Even better would be an auto-completing search tool, such as the one powered by Double the Donation!

In addition to email domain screening, a company search tool can help identify matching gifts

(P.S. Our company database search tool integrates with nearly all leading donation platforms and CRMs, making it a seamless opportunity to connect the solutions.)

DIVE INTO THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE MATCHING GIFT DATABASE

2. Add a matching gift widget to your confirmation screen.

After donors complete their gifts, they’ll generally be directed to a confirmation page on your site. Here, they should be thanked for their gift and provided with recommended next steps. And when you incorporate a matching gift tool on your confirmation screen, donors will have yet another chance to supply employment data.

Such a widget allows each donor to quickly search for their employer’s matching gift program by typing in the business name. If a program from their employing company is found, the individual can be marked as match-eligible in real time and encouraged to complete a matching gift request on your behalf.

Besides email domain screening, your confirmation page is another great place to identify matching gifts

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN IMPLEMENT MATCHING GIFTS IN THE DONATION PROCESS

3. Enlist email follow-up outreach.

Following a donor’s contribution, send a personalized follow-up email thanking them for their support and inviting them to provide their employment information if they haven’t already.

This email should also supply instructions on how donors can uncover their own eligibility⁠—such as by reaching out to their company’s HR department or CSR team.

After email domain screening, follow up with a tailored matching gift reminder

EXPLORE TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MARKETING MATCHING GIFTS IN EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS

4. Consider an employer append service.

Regardless of the methods you use to collect employment information and identify match-eligible gifts, you’re going to have some gaps in your donor records. And that’s where a data enhancement service⁠—specifically an employer append⁠—can come in handy.

All you need to do is partner with a data appends provider and supply the company with the information you have in your existing records. From there, the appending company conducts a variety of enrichment processes to augment each profile with fresh insights gleaned from a wide array of data sources⁠—including employment information and matching gift eligibility.

Besides email domain screening, a data append is another great way to identify matching gifts

SEE HOW YOU CAN APPEND EMPLOYER DATA TO YOUR DONOR RECORDS

5. Conduct a bulk matching gift screening.

If you already have accurate and up-to-date employment information for your donors, there’s another type of data enhancement service you can consider. That’s a bulk matching gift screening, where you provide an appends provider with your donors’ names, the companies they work for, and other data insights. Then, the appending company screens your donor profiles against its database of matching gift information and indicates each individual’s likely matching gift eligibility.

Besides email domain screening, a bulk match screening is another great way to identify matching gifts

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BULK MATCHING GIFT SCREENING SERVICES

Wrapping Up

Email domain screening offers nonprofits an invaluable opportunity to uncover more matching gifts and transform their fundraising endeavors. By utilizing this technology, organizations like yours can tap into the vast pool of matching gift opportunities provided by corporate employers.

In doing so, you’ll reap benefits like streamlined identification practices (driving operational efficiency), heightened donor engagement, and increased revenue for your mission.

Interested in learning more about matching gifts and other fundraising strategies? Check out these recommended resources:

Take email domain screening and other match efforts to new heights with Double the Donation.

Volunteer Time Off The Ultimate VTO Guide For Nonprofits

Volunteer Time Off | The Ultimate VTO Guide For Nonprofits

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In today’s developing corporate landscape, businesses are constantly on the lookout for new ways to engage their employees, differentiate their brands, and increase their overall revenue. One powerful tool that’s emerged as a way for companies to reach these objectives is corporate volunteerism⁠—and, specifically, offering paid volunteer time off (or VTO) for their employees.

As a nonprofit professional, these types of programs present a lucrative opportunity to incentivize volunteerism, foster meaningful supporter relationships, and expand your mission reach. However, understanding how to make the most of these endeavors and navigate the intricacies of the programs can seem daunting. That’s why we’ve crafted this comprehensive resource.

Designed to illuminate the path toward leveraging volunteer time off to its fullest potential, this guide will cover the following:

Ready to learn more about corporate volunteer incentives like VTO? Let’s get started with the basics.

What is Paid Volunteer Time Off?

Also known as employer-sponsored volunteerism or paid-release time volunteer programs, paid volunteer time off is a strategic mechanism through which companies empower employees to partake in philanthropy during standard work hours.

Definition of paid volunteer time off

Companies that offer these programs generally establish a certain number of VTO hours team members accrue each year⁠ for designated volunteer projects—above and beyond any existing paid leave or sick time. This approach not only encourages employee engagement but also strengthens corporate citizenship and fosters social responsibility within the workforce.

By providing paid time for volunteering, companies involve their teams in giving back to their communities. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the portion of companies offering VTO as part of their benefits package increased by more than 2 in 3 over the last decade. Today, an estimated 66% of surveyed employers provide some sort of paid time off in their benefits packages for employees to engage in volunteer events.

Paid volunteer time off programs are a unique form of PTO for employees.

Why? Research shows that 96% of employees who participate in corporate volunteerism report having a positive company culture. And one of the best ways for businesses to encourage participation among staff is to turn it into a paid day out of the office!

Types of VTO Programs

Like volunteerism itself, there’s no single way to participate in a VTO program. While the specifics tend to vary from one company to the next, many initiatives fall into one of the following categories:

Types of paid volunteer time off

  • Individual VTO — Paid time off designed to encourage a company’s employees to spend time volunteering on the clock. Businesses offering VTO empower staff to give back independently, contributing unique skills and expertise without missing a day of pay. Plus, the programs allow individuals to choose organizations or causes that align with their interests and skill sets (like yours!).
  • Group volunteer events ⁠— Business or team-wide volunteer events that involve a company’s employees participating in organized activities or projects collectively. These types of events promote teamwork, morale, and camaraderie among employees. At the same time, it allows volunteers to make a collective impact on larger-scale projects or initiatives.
  • Skills-based volunteerism ⁠— Also referred to as pro bono services, employees use professional skills to volunteer for a cause or organization beyond traditional volunteer activities. For example, a marketing specialist could assist in developing a promotional strategy, or a CPA may donate time to facilitate an organization’s accounting efforts.
  • Disaster response volunteering ⁠— Employees assisting with relevant and timely relief efforts in the event of a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis. This may include supply distribution, shelter assistance, search and rescue, first aid, and more to provide aid to communities affected.
  • Civic time off ⁠— Paid time off designated for employees to participate in civic activities such as voting or serving on a jury. Companies offering this benefit demonstrate their commitment to responsible citizenship and engagement.

Once you’ve established which of your supporters qualify for volunteer time off, take a look at the program guidelines to determine⁠—and communicate⁠—the types of activities included in the programming.

Paid VTO vs. Volunteer Grants

Corporate volunteer grants and paid volunteer time off each represent a powerful way for companies to incentivize volunteerism among their staff. However, the two programs differ in key ways, and it’s important to understand the distinctions as you craft your organization’s engagement strategy.

First, VTO refers to a company policy where employees are granted paid time off work to participate in qualifying volunteer activities. Through these programs, employees can donate time to their favorite nonprofits and engage in community service without sacrificing their regular pay.

Conversely, volunteer grants are donations made by companies to nonprofit causes in recognition of their employees’ volunteer efforts. The biggest difference between the two is that funding is contributed to the organizations with which employees volunteer rather than to employees’ own paychecks.

Volunteer time off vs. volunteer grants comparison

What to Know About VTO Program Guidelines

Each company that offers volunteer time off first establishes a set of criteria or guidelines that dictate qualifying employees, nonprofits, activities, and more. For a nonprofit team, understanding common program guidelines enables fundraisers to identify VTO opportunities within their network.

Fortunately, most companies provide their employees with helpful documentation regarding eligibility and instructions for the program. These policies generally include the following:

  • Eligible employees ⁠— Companies may implement regulations regarding full-time versus part-time team members or establish a minimum duration of employment prior to employees becoming eligible.
  • VTO hours accrued ⁠— Some companies provide a set number of hours employees receive each year, while others allow it to accrue in smaller increments. Regardless, a recent study found that participating companies provide an average of 20 VTO hours per year per employee.
  • Qualifying organizations and activities ⁠— The mission or cause of the organization an employee volunteers with can play a role in an individual’s eligibility for time off, too. For example, most 501(c)(3) nonprofits qualify, though strictly political or religious organizations often do not. Similarly, there may be limits placed on the scope of activities covered under VTO.
  • Pre-approval or request processes ⁠— Most companies require some sort of request process for their VTO programs. Make sure eligible supporters are aware of the opportunity, and take steps to guide volunteers through their submissions as much as possible.

Take a look at this sample VTO template to get a feel for the types of programs you’ll likely encounter. This policy provides a number of exclusions to the program, too⁠—including coaching a child’s sports team, attending a PTA meeting, or participating in a religious conference.

Sample Paid Volunteer Time Off Request Form

By familiarizing yourself with corporate VTO guidelines, your organization can effectively engage corporate volunteers and maximize the impact of their volunteer efforts.

How Do Nonprofits Benefit From Volunteer Time Off?

Many organizations⁠ rely on dedicated volunteers to ensure smooth operations. Volunteers generously contribute their time, energy, and skills to benefit communities. As a result, volunteerism provides essential support without added financial costs. This expands capacity, fosters engagement, enhances programming, and more.

Paid volunteer time off (or VTO) programs go a few steps further to drive an even greater impact. These benefits include:

The value of volunteer time off for nonprofits

Low-cost labor ⁠— Empower your team to get more done for your organization while reducing the need to invest in additional hiring, recruitment, or labor efforts. According to volunteerism research, the value of a single volunteer hour is currently estimated to be $31.80.

Expanded volunteer pool ⁠— By removing financial and logistical barriers, VTO produces a larger pool of potential volunteers to engage with. That means more volunteers signing up to participate!

Diverse skillsets and expertise ⁠— When it comes to volunteerism, employees often bring their professional expertise to the table (think: copywriting, graphic design, accounting, legal services, etc.). This ultimately provides increased access to specialized skills and knowledge.

Heightened retention ⁠— Volunteers are more likely to continue their support when their time is compensated. Highlight the availability of VTO to keep supporters coming back time and time again.

New fundraising opportunities ⁠— According to Volunteer Hub, 79% of people who volunteer donate to the organization as well. VTO programs help engage volunteers with your cause, and your team can begin stewarding them as donors, too!

Growing corporate partnerships ⁠— Targeting VTO companies can heighten visibility and open doors for partnerships. Consider whether participating employers also supply matching gifts, volunteer grants, and other types of programs.

Increased community impact ⁠— With expanded resources and a growing supporter base thanks to corporate volunteer programming like VTO, your team can benefit its community and mission even more.

Learn more with the complete guide to Corporate Volunteer Incentives


Top 5 Employers With Paid Volunteer Time Off Programs

Tons of businesses offer paid volunteer time for their employees. Becoming familiar with top VTO programs allows your team to identify engagement opportunities, access valuable resources, and establish strategic partnerships.

Check out these five examples of generous employers⁠—and see if your volunteers (or donors!) work for these companies.

Patagonia's volunteer time off program

1. Patagonia

Up to 18 paid volunteer hours each year
Additional two-month paid internship opportunities
Focus: Environmental activism

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️
Also offers volunteer grants: ❌

Patagonia is an outdoor clothing and recreation gear retailer based in Ventura, California. With a focus on environmental activism, the company engages employees by offering up to 18 paid volunteer hours annually.

Not to mention, Patagonia also encourages employees to participate in an additional two-month Environmental Internship Program with the environmental group of their choice (while maintaining full benefits!). Additionally, Patagonia matches employees’ monetary donations to a wide range of nonprofits as well⁠—with each team member qualifying for up to $10,000 in matching gift funds per year.

Thomson Reuters' volunteer time off program

2. Thomson Reuters

Two paid days (16 hours) each year
Inclusive of company-sponsored volunteer activities
Focus: Local community investment

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️
Also offers volunteer grants: ✔️

Thomson Reuters is a Canadian-based multinational information and media conglomerate. With more than 25,000 employees across hundreds of locations worldwide, the company offers a number of corporate-sponsored ways for team members to give back to their communities.

While full-time team members receive two paid days off for volunteer activities each year, the program policy dictates that part-time staff (specifically those regularly scheduled for more than 20 hours per week) qualify for a prorated number of VTO hours as well.

GM Financial's volunteer time off program

3. GM Financial

8 hours VTO per quarter for full-time staff
4 hours VTO per quarter for part-time staff
Focus: Strengthening communities

Also offers matching gifts: ❌
Also offers volunteer grants: ✔️
Also offers P2P fundraising matches: ✔️

GM Financial is a financial services provider and subsidiary of General Motors with extensive operations based in North and Latin America, Europe, and China. As a way of giving back to society, GM Financial incentivizes volunteerism among employees in a few ways⁠—including both volunteer grants and paid time off to volunteer.

The good news? Full-time and part-time employees can participate! Each quarter, full-time GM Financial staff receive 8 hours of volunteer time off, while part-time workers receive 4.

Meanwhile, through its volunteer grant program, employees can earn $10 for every hour they donate to a nonprofit. However, the program policy does specify that dollars for doers (or volunteer grants) may only be requested for volunteer activities that take place outside of working hours.

Microsoft's volunteer time off program

4. Microsoft

30 hours pro bono services each year
Hack for Good tech innovation event
Focus: Accessible legal knowledge, resources, and services

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️
Also offers volunteer grants: ✔️

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation with a focus on leading operating systems, productivity applications, and web browsers. The company is also known for its standout philanthropy⁠—and, specifically, its widespread employee involvement.

In a single year, nearly 50,000 Microsoft employees volunteered more than 1 million hours of their time with charitable organizations worldwide. Through its paid volunteer time off program, each team member receives 30 hours to dedicate to pro bono work annually.

Sentinel Group's volunteer time off program

5. Sentinel Group

Two paid days of service (16 hours) each year
Focus: Education, community, and health and wellness

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️ (With auto-submission!)
Also offers volunteer grants: ❌

Sentinel Group, formerly known as Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group, is a Massachusetts-based business management consulting firm. In order to engage their employees and incentivize community service, Sentinel Group launched a volunteer time off program. Through the initiative, each team member receives 16 hours (or two full days) worth of PTO to devote to volunteer activities.

Promoting VTO Opportunities to Supporters

The rate at which a company’s staff are involved in corporate volunteer initiatives can vary drastically from one employer to the next. As a nonprofit, one of the best things your team can do to increase participation is to begin driving awareness of the programs with smart marketing and promotional efforts.

Here’s what we recommend!

1. Share about volunteer time off programs on social media.

Your organization’s social media profiles are going to be some of your greatest assets when it comes to driving awareness of VTO opportunities on a mass scale. Sharing information about paid volunteer time off programs online can be just what you need to inspire action among your followers.

As usual, remember to use engaging visuals and compelling storytelling strategies to capture and retain your audience’s attention. You might also choose to share success stories of team members who have previously participated in VTO activities and highlight the tangible impact they’ve made for your cause. Then, be sure to link out to additional resources (such as a dedicated page on your website) for interested supporters to learn more.

2. Create or optimize a dedicated Volunteers page on your website.

Speaking of, creating a dedicated web page for all things volunteerism (and volunteer incentives) allows you to establish a centralized hub for volunteer-related resources. If you already have a volunteers page on your site, you’ll want to incorporate information about paid volunteer time off programs to best market the opportunity to your audience.

Be sure to illustrate the positive impact of corporate volunteerism on your mission and provide additional resources and information on how supporters can get involved. In doing so, you can reinforce your organization’s commitment to collaboration and volunteerism, too!

3. Leverage employer data to identify VTO opportunities.

Your supporters’ employment data contains a wealth of information about available engagement opportunities⁠—from matching donations to supplying paid time for volunteering. Use the information to uncover contacts in your database who work for companies with VTO. Then, adjust your strategy accordingly.

If you already know where a volunteer works, take a moment to look into the company’s volunteer incentive programs. If you don’t have an individual’s employer on file, consider a corporate giving database tool or explore an employer append service to help fill in any gaps.

4. Implement personalized outreach for eligible supporters.

Once you’ve determined which supporters work for companies with VTO programs, initiating tailored communications can go a long way. But you don’t just want to reach out to existing volunteers! In fact, identifying and engaging with donors working for VTO companies can be a surefire way to tap into new opportunities for support.

Be sure to focus your outreach while highlighting the benefits of paid volunteerism (i.e., a meaningful experience and a fun day off work!). Then, encourage recipients to take advantage of the programming. Provide information on upcoming volunteer activities and clearly communicate how supporters can get involved.

Our top recommendation? Embed a volunteer grant database (such as 360MatchPro’s Volunteer Hub tool) on your website so supporters can easily access program guidelines and instructions.

5. Familiarize yourself with local businesses offering volunteer time off.

Local businesses can become some of your most valuable corporate partners. Research companies in your area and note those offering VTO programs for their employees. (Not sure where to start? Reach out to professional services firms in your area⁠—such as advertising, law, or accounting.)

From there, you’ll want to establish connections within the human resources department or corporate social responsibility team. Start your conversation by learning more about their volunteerism initiatives and identify opportunities for collaboration. Then, pitch a volunteer event or activity with which to engage the business’s staff through VTO.

6. Encourage volunteers at VTO companies to organize group activities.

Let’s say you have an existing volunteer who works for a large company with a paid VTO policy. One of the best ways to attract eligible volunteers is to empower supporters to rally their colleagues.

Sometimes, all you have to do is encourage a single volunteer to organize a group activity and get their teammates on board.

Be sure to provide resources to assist in coordinating volunteer projects, like team-building exercises, community service days, or fundraising events. By setting up your volunteers to mobilize their coworkers, you can maximize the impact of available VTO programs and foster a culture of collaborative volunteerism.

Final Thoughts & Additional Resources

When nonprofits and companies work together, the opportunities for social impact are endless. Paid volunteer time off programs are one example of a way businesses are meeting the increased demand for corporate responsibility. Matching gifts and volunteer grants are a few others.

Now, it’s time to tap into the VTO programs in your organization’s network. Your team can establish solid corporate partnerships, better engage with volunteers, and achieve your mission with greater efficiency.

Good luck!

There’s more to corporate engagement than paid volunteer time off. Dive into these other generous programs and initiatives to uncover new opportunities for your organization:

  • FREE DOWNLOAD: The Ultimate Guide to Matching Gifts. This must-read resource provides comprehensive insights into matching gifts, empowering organizations to make the most of these programs. Explore practical tips and strategies to navigate donation matching here!
  • Maximizing Impact With Corporate Volunteer Grant Programs. Did you know you can collect corporate funds when a company’s employees volunteer with your cause? Dive into this in-depth exploration of volunteer grant programs and discover the power of volunteerism to drive positive change.
  • Navigating Corporate Philanthropy | A Nonprofit Playbook. Forging successful corporate partnerships is a must. This complete guide supplies actionable guidance for navigating corporate philanthropy⁠. Learn to identify prospects, craft proposals, make your pitch, and foster mutually beneficial relationships.

 


Scale up your organization's corporate volunteer strategy with 360MatchPro 💡

A man using fundraising software on his computer with the title of the article next to him: How A Corporate Giving Database Unlocks Fundraising Success

How A Corporate Giving Database Unlocks Fundraising Success

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Companies gave an impressive $29.48 billion to U.S. charities in 2022. Even with this generosity, nonprofits frequently overlook revenue opportunities. In fact, $4-$7 billion in funds allocated for matching gifts go unclaimed every year. That’s where a corporate giving database comes in.

This technology makes it easy for nonprofits to identify companies that offer CSR opportunities, such as workplace giving programs, sponsorships, and in-kind gifts. With a comprehensive and accurate database, nonprofits can access detailed information about corporate giving programs, including eligibility criteria, application processes, and deadlines.

This article will cover these topics and share how nonprofits can utilize corporate giving databases to discover companies willing to donate:

These databases aren’t just information repositories; they’re gateways to increased donations through generous companies. Let’s explore how to harness this technology to unlock greater fundraising success at your nonprofit.

Download our free guide to learn how 360MatchPro's corporate giving database can help your nonprofit raise more money.

What Is A Corporate Giving Database?

A corporate giving database is a comprehensive resource that compiles information on corporate philanthropy programs. This technology helps nonprofits identify potential funding opportunities by providing details on individual companies’ program criteria, application processes, and contact information.

Some databases offer geographic search functions, while others require you to search for specific companies by name. A database will typically store information on different types of giving opportunities such as:

  • Matching Gifts: In this program, companies match donations their employees make to eligible nonprofits, effectively doubling the initial donation amount.
  • Volunteer Grants: Corporations provide monetary grants to nonprofits where their employees volunteer usually based on the number of hours volunteered.
  • Volunteer Time Off: This type of program provides employees with dedicated PTO hours they can spend volunteering with nonprofit causes.
  • In-Kind Donations: Instead of cash, businesses donate goods or services, such as products, professional services, or other resources that the nonprofit might need.
  • Cause Marketing: Also called cause-related marketing, cause marketing is when companies collaborate with nonprofits to launch campaigns where a portion of the revenue from certain products or services is donated to the nonprofit.
  • Community Grants: Corporations provide grants for specific projects or programs that align with their CSR objectives, often focusing on local community enhancement.

360MatchPro’s matching gift database stores information on companies’ matching gift and volunteer grant programs. Fundraisers, donors, and volunteers can use the database to search for their employers and discover employee eligibility requirements, which nonprofits are eligible for matching grants, grant amounts, and match ratios. It’ll even provide instructions on submitting a match request and a link to the form, if available.

For example, here are the guidelines our database has for YUM Brands, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell:

360MatchPro's corporate giving database stores matching gift and volunteer grant guidelines, like these for YUM Brands.

Corporate giving databases are ideal for nonprofits looking for support and journalists reporting on CSR contributions.

CSR Databases: Understanding The Business Perspective

Companies that give to charity receive a reputation boost, tax write-offs, and increased employee engagement. As such, many corporations like to publicize their CSR efforts by creating dedicated web pages. They’ll also reach out to corporate giving database providers to be added to their systems, making it easy for nonprofits and employees to research donation opportunities and find eligibility requirements.

Reasons that companies share their CSR policies include:

  • Enhanced brand reputation: Our CSR research indicates that consumers are 4-6x more likely to trust, protect, champion, and purchase from companies with a strong sense of purpose. Meanwhile, 93% of employees prefer working for companies that lead with purpose. That means companies with CSR initiatives are more likely to win over employees and consumers.
  • Higher employee participation in CSR: Promoting their workplace giving programs means more employee participation! For example, let’s say someone donates to your nonprofit. If their employer shares their information with a corporate giving database provider, donors can research their eligibility and determine if they’re match-eligible right from your donation page.
  • Community goodwill: Some companies show off their support for specific causes that align with their companies’ services. Our list of corporate philanthropy examples highlights how Bombas, a popular clothing retailer, donates socks, t-shirts, or underwear for every item purchased. They’ve donated 100 million items to 3,500+ shelters, transitional living facilities, and other community organizations.

Bombas is a popular clothing retailer that aligns its charitable giving with its brand.

Some companies manage corporate giving by launching a separately administered private foundation, for which the IRS requires public disclosure. Companies typically share impact metrics, funding opportunities, and how to apply for funding on their websites.

However, businesses commonly donate through corporate giving programs. Since companies aren’t required to publicize these programs, you might have trouble finding which businesses offer them. A corporate giving database like ours can help here! Our team constantly updates its database with the latest information on companies’ CSR programs. With records on more than 24,000 companies, our matching gift database is the most comprehensive, accurate one in the world.

Why Some Companies Cautiously Share Their CSR Programs

While there are several benefits to marketing CSR programs, some companies choose to limit their publicization. Here’s why some companies choose to limit the visibility of their philanthropic activities:

  • Concerns over too many donation requests
  • Privacy considerations for recipients or sensitive projects
  • Angering customers who think the company is wasting money on an organization or cause they don’t approve of

Instead of publishing relevant CSR information on their website, businesses may quietly add their information to a corporate giving database to ensure key information is available to only those who need it, such as nonprofits and employees.

Double the Donation’s Corporate Giving Database For Nonprofits

Our corporate giving database, 360MatchPro, is specifically designed to help nonprofits increase fundraising through corporate philanthropy. It’s the world’s most comprehensive matching gift database, representing 26.8 million matching gift-eligible individuals at 24,000+ companies. That’s an incredible 99.68% of all match-eligible donors!

With it, your nonprofit can:

  • Identify and pursue match-eligible gifts and volunteer grants
  • Incorporate matching gifts into existing software via 100+ integrations, including leading providers like Blackbaud and Classy
  • Simplify the matching gift and volunteer grant experience for supporters
  • Save time with automated email streams that encourage supporters to submit requests to their employers
  • Track and report on matching gifts with ease
  • Uncover volunteer time off opportunities offered by generous employers in your network

Our team also constantly searches for and resolves stumbling blocks like broken links, outdated forms, and loading issues. That way, donors and volunteers won’t waste time completing an application just to find out they’re not eligible.

How Our Corporate Giving Database Works

Nonprofits can easily make using our database a part of their existing donation and volunteer management processes. Here’s how it works:

  1. Embed our company search tool into key areas on your website like your donation form and confirmation page.
  2. Supporters look up their employers. They can search for subsidiaries, brand names, and local offices. Even if they misspell the company’s name, our database can help them find the right one.
  3. Supporters view the company’s guidelines. For matching gifts, this includes minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, employee eligibility requirements, nonprofit eligibility requirements, and request deadlines.
  4. If available, supporters click the link to the match request form or follow other submission guidelines. Currently, we have over 90% of forms available in our CSR database.

Watch this virtual tour of our platform, so you can envision how it’ll work for your team:

With 360MatchPro, you can check on individual donors’ match statuses and follow up at any point. You’ll even have a matching gift dashboard to get a snapshot of your nonprofit’s corporate giving fundraising results!

Our CSR database comes with a dashboard, so your nonprofit can check on its corporate giving results at any point.

As the leader in matching gift technology, we’re constantly developing powerful new features to drive nonprofits’ success forward. For instance, our latest innovation is matching gift auto-submission, which gives donors the option to let our technology submit their match requests for them. That means less work for them, fewer errors on their forms, and more revenue for your nonprofit!

With 360MatchPro by Double the Donation, you can rest assured that you’re making the most of corporate matching gifts.

Learn more about our comprehensive corporate giving database, so you can receive more matching gifts and volunteer grants.

How Nonprofits Can Leverage Our Corporate Giving Database

Nonprofits of all shapes and sizes should learn how to leverage a corporate giving database. These databases can help your nonprofit identify and connect with companies whose giving criteria match your mission, helping to pinpoint long-term partnerships.

If investing in a corporate giving database sounds like a smart move, here’s how you can make the most of 360MatchPro:

  • Educate your team. Ensure your team knows how to use your corporate giving database. Nonprofits who use our database can explore our support articles, learn all about corporate giving through our Matching Gift Academy, and connect with our highly-responsive team if they need help.
  • Embed the company search tool into key places. Add our company search tool to your online donation form and confirmation page to enable donors to check if their employer offers matching gifts when donating. Some nonprofits create a dedicated corporate giving page that features CSR opportunities and the search tool.

Embed Double the Donation's employer search tool on your donation confirmation page to give donors access to your corporate giving database.

  • Track and report on CSR results. Our platform maintains detailed records of your supporters’ corporate giving to analyze your strategies’ success. Pay special attention to companies that give substantially to your organization. Then, follow up to emphasize their impact and thank them for their support. This can lead to ongoing support through long-term partnerships and sponsored events.

By following these strategies, your nonprofit can boost its fundraising efforts with our corporate giving database. In no time, you’ll raise more funds and build stronger relationships with donors and corporate partners.

Final Thoughts on Corporate Giving Databases

Corporate giving databases offer a vital resource for nonprofits seeking to maximize their fundraising efforts and enhance their impact. By leveraging companies’ generosity, your nonprofit can expand its capacity to serve, innovate, and thrive.

To learn more about unlocking growth via corporate giving, explore these educational resources:

Get a free demo of our CSR database to find matching gift and volunteer grant companies.