Insight

Boosting the matching gifts your nonprofit receives

Corporate matching can double the value of donors’ gifts — a bonus no not-for-profit organization can afford to pass up. Are you doing everything you can to educate your financial supporters and their employers about matching gifts?

Encourage donors and employers

Most matching programs are managed by HR departments, which provide employees with matching gift forms. Typically, the employer sends the completed forms, along with the matched donations, to the charity the employee has chosen. Dollar-for-dollar matching is most common among participating corporations, but some companies offer more, others less. Many match donations to any nonprofit, but some are more restrictive.

To encourage increased matching gifts, draw up a list of employers in your area that offer matching. Typically, you can find this information in annual reports, on company websites or by calling companies’ HR, PR or community relations departments. If the company operates a foundation, its matching program may run through that entity.

Once you have a comprehensive and accurate list, post it on your website’s donation page. Also use the list to reach out to existing donors you know work for those companies. All of your nonprofit’s solicitations should encourage supporters to check with their employers about the availability of matching.

Set up your own program

If, despite your nonprofit’s best efforts, matching gifts only occasionally trickle in, consider creating your own matching pool. Ask board members and major supporters to match donations during a certain time period, for certain populations or for a minimum donation amount. For instance, your board might match all donations from new contributors in February or a major donor might commit to match gifts made at your annual gala.

Also keep in mind that some charitable foundations will match gifts to jump-start a fundraising effort or major campaign. Such an arrangement might be easier to set up than securing a large employer to donate to your organization.

Be persistent

Gift-matching enables donors to make larger contributions than they can manage on their own. Knowing their gift will be matched, they might even bump up the amount. Therefore, do everything you can to foster matching gifts. Contact us for more information.

© 2018

Related Insights

Your guide to Medicare premiums and taxes | tax preparation in bel air md | weyrich, cronin and sorra

Tax Prep, Planning & Strategy

Your guide to Medicare premiums and taxes

Medicare health insurance premiums can add up to big bucks — especially if you’re upper-income, married, and you and your spouse both pay…
Another court ruling on BOI reporting: Requirements are halted again | tax preparation in bel air md | Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

Tax Prep, Planning & Strategy

Another court ruling on BOI reporting: Requirements are halted again

In a surprising turn of events, a federal appeals court has issued another ruling that suspends a requirement for businesses to file reports…
Advantages of keeping your business separate from its real estate | cpa in elkton md | Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

Accounting & Assurance

Advantages of keeping your business separate from its real estate

Does your business require real estate for its operations? Or do you hold property titled under your business’s name? It might be worth reconsidering…

Connect with us

Use the form below to send us an email. WCS responds directly to all inquiries and general questions within 24 hours of posting.

Sorry, a problem occurred trying to communicate with Google reCAPTCHA API. You are currently not able to submit the contact form. Please try again later - reload the page and also check your internet connection.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This contact form is deactivated because you refused to accept Google reCaptcha service which is necessary to validate any messages sent by the form.