As the calendar year comes to a close,nonprofits are preparing for one of the most crucial fundraising periods: theyear-end appeal. This time of year is an excellent opportunity to engage donorsand secure the funding your nonprofit needs to fulfill its mission in the yearahead.
However, one of the most powerfulfundraising tools during year-end appeals often goesunderutilized: matching gifts. By weaving matching gifts into your year-endcampaigns, you can amplify the impact of every donor’s contribution. In thiscomprehensive guide, we will discuss how to effectively integrate matching gifts into your year-endappeals to maximize donations, boost donor engagement, and increase the overallsuccess of your campaign.
Specifically, we’ll cover:
● What Are Matching Gifts?
● The Power of Matching Gifts inYear-End Appeals
● How to Integrate Matching Giftsinto Your Year-End Appeals
● Tips for Optimizing Matching GiftEngagement During the Year-End Appeal
The more you know about matching gifts,the better you can integrate them into your organization’s year-end fundraisingappeals. Let’s get started with the basics here!
What Are Matching Gifts?
Matching gifts are corporate donation programsin which companies match employee donations to qualifying nonprofitorganizations. This means that for every dollar an employee contributes, theiremployer will also contribute an equal amount, or sometimes even more.
Matching gifts represent a significantsource of additional funding for nonprofits, yet many donors are unaware thattheir employers offer this benefit. For nonprofits, tapping into the potentialof matching gifts can significantly increase donations, especially duringyear-end appeals.
The Power of Matching Gifts in Year-EndAppeals
The final months of the year account for asignificant share of annual giving, with many donors waiting until the holidayseason to make charitable contributions. During this period, individuals areoften more inclined to give, and they can stretch their giving further withmatching gifts.
By emphasizing corporate matchingopportunities in your year-end appeals at this time, you can encourage donorsto give more, knowing that their employers will help amplify their impact.
Here’s why matching gifts matter duringyear-end.
- Increased Donations: Matching gifts can double or even triple the size of individual donations, increasing the overall revenue from your year-end appeal. Plus, many donors are more likely to give (and to give in larger amounts) when they know a match is available.
- Boosted Donor Engagement: Match-eligible donors often feel a stronger sense of impact with your organization. Matching gifts foster a deeper connection to your mission, allowing supporters to get further involved.
- Corporate Relationships: Partnering with employers to promote matching gifts and broader corporate partnerships can help strengthen relationships with businesses in your community, creating opportunities for long-term collaboration.
All in all, incorporating matching giftsinto your year-end appeals gives your supporters an added incentive to donateand provides an opportunity to generate more revenue from the same donor base.
How to Integrate Matching Gifts intoYour Year-End Appeals
Now that we’ve established the importanceof matching gifts in your year-end fundraising strategy, it’s time to discusshow to effectively integrate them into your campaigns. Below are some keystrategies to maximize matching gift engagement during your year-end appeals.
Create Clear, Compelling Messaging
Donors need to clearly understand whatmatching gifts are and how they work. Use your year-end appeal to explain theconcept in simple terms, and prominently include this messaging in yourcommunications.
For the best results, highlight thefollowing:
● How matching gifts can double ortriple the donor’s impact.
● The eligibility criteria formatching gifts (e.g., companies that match donations, minimum and maximum matchlimits, etc.).
● How easy it is for donors to takeadvantage of matching gifts through your organization’s system.
In your messaging, emphasize the holidayspirit of giving and encourage donors to maximize the impact of theirgenerosity. Use phrases like “Double your impact this holiday season” or “Givemore with your employer’s matching gift program” to create urgency andexcitement.
Promote Matching Gifts Across Multiple Channels
For matching gifts to be effective, theymust be promoted at every stage of your year-end campaign. Therefore,incorporate matching gift information into:
Email Campaigns: Include matching gift details in your subject lines, email bodies,and donation call-to-actions (CTAs). Plus, make sure to send a follow-up emaildedicated to matching gifts after an initial donation is made.
Social Media:Use your platforms to raise awareness of matching gift opportunities. Creategraphics, posts, and even short videos explaining how matching gifts work andhow easy it is to get started.
Your Website:Ensure your website clearly promotes the matching gift opportunity, such aswith a dedicated matching gift webpage. For the best results, this shouldinclude a link to a matching gift search tool that allows donorsto look up their employer’s policy.
Printed Materials: For physical year-end appeal materials, include information aboutmatching gifts with your donation forms, brochures, and any holiday cards youdistribute. In other words, matching gifts should be included in all yourmaterials!
Incorporate Matching Gifts into Your Donation Forms
When donors are making their year-endcontributions, this is the prime moment to prompt them about matching gifts.Therefore, ensure that your donation forms include an easy-to-find sectionwhere donors can search for their employer’s matching gift program.
Some strategies include:
● Automated Search Tools: Integrate a matching gift search tool directly into your donationform to allow donors to quickly check if their employer offers matching gifts.
● Checkbox Options: Include a checkbox on the form that lets donors search for matchinggift opportunities, simplifying the process.
● Matching Gift Instructions: Provide clear instructions or links to external websites where donorscan initiate the matching gift process with their employer.
The easier you make it for donors to findmatching gift opportunities while actively donating to your cause, the morelikely they are to take advantage of this additional funding source.
Establish a Sense of Year-End Urgency
Many companies have specific deadlinesfor matching gift submissions, so it’s important to be aware of those dates andhighlight them in your communications. In order to capitalize on year-endurgency, mention the fact that tons of companies’ match programs are closingtheir submission windows soon, and that getting a request in before year-end isoften the best way to go.
Follow-Up and Remind Donors About Matching Gifts
Many donors forget to submit matchinggift requests after they’ve made their contributions. To combat this, includefollow-up reminders in your year-end appeal strategy.
● Email Reminders: Send targeted emails to donors, thanking them for their contributionand encouraging them to submit matching gift requests.
● Thank You Notes: Include matching gift reminders to reinforce the idea that theirdonation could be doubled if they take action.
● Regular Updates: Keep donors informed about the progress of the matching gift,especially as you approach year-end.
By continuously reminding donors ofmatching gift opportunities, you ensure they don’t miss out on maximizing theirdonations.
Engage With Companies Directly
When possible, directly engage withemployers to discuss how you can align their matching gift programs with youryear-end appeal. Then, remember to thank employers publicly or offerrecognition in your year-end appeals, showcasing how their participationstrengthens the impact of their employees’ giving.
Tips for Optimizing Matching GiftEngagement During the Year-End Appeal
To maximize matching gift donationsduring the year-end period, consider these additional tips:
● Participate in Giving Tuesday: Giving Tuesday is an excellent opportunity fornonprofits to raise more for their missions, and matching gifts can play asignificant role here, too. For the best results, integrate matching giftinformation throughout your Giving Tuesday and broader year-end fundraisingefforts to capitalize on heightened engagement.
● Highlight Matching Gift Impact: Regularly update donors on the total amount of matching gifts raisedthrough the campaign efforts. This can inspire others to contribute by showingthem the collective power of matching gifts.
● Offer Exclusive Incentives: Consider offering small incentives or recognition for donors whosuccessfully complete their matching gift request. For example, you could offera special acknowledgment or send a thank-you gift to those who double theirdonations through matching gifts.
● Measure Matching Gift Impact: It’s essential to track the success of matching gift initiatives duringyour year-end appeal. For the best results, measure the total amount raisedfrom matching gifts, the number of matching gift donations, overallparticipation rates, and more.
By implementing these tips, you can significantly boost engagement and maximizethe impact of matching gifts during your year-end appeal. When you makematching gifts a focal point of your year-end strategy, you'll encourage moredonations, deepen donor relationships, and ultimately raise more funds for yourcause.
Wrapping Up & Next Steps
Integrating matching gifts into youryear-end appeals is a highly effective way to amplify your fundraising effortsand boost donations. By creating clear messaging, promoting matching giftsacross multiple channels, and simplifying the process for your donors, you canunlock additional revenue and increase engagement in the long run.
With the right strategy, you cancapitalize on the power of matching gifts during the holiday season, ensuringthat your year-end campaign exceeds expectations. Don’tforget to track your progress and use data from this year’s appeal to fine-tuneyour efforts for future campaigns. Good luck!
