The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
1
The Ultimate
Guide to Marketing
Matching Gifts
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
2
I want my
employer to
match my
gift!
We
want your
employer to
match your
gift!
Table of Contents
Section I:
Introduction to Marketing Matching Gifts ���������������������������������������������4
Section II:
Marketing Through the Donation ����������������������������������������������������������������7
Section III:
Marketing Across Your Organization’s Website ��������������������������������11
Section IV:
Marketing Across Communications with Donors ����������������������������20
Section V:
How Can Double the Donation Help Market
Matching Gifts? ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������26
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
4
Introduction
to Marketing
Matching Gifts
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
5
Even your most dedicated donors don’t always submit their matching gift requests.
Outside of the fundraising community, you’d be surprised by how few people know about
corporate giving.
Donors are rarely aware of whether or not their employer, or their spouse’s employer, offers
a matching gift program. If your donors are already passionate enough to open up their
wallets, they are often happy to invest in a simple, short process to double their donations.
The world is not flat, and your bottom line shouldn’t be either. Properly market matching
gifts through a variety of strategies in order to increase fundraising. Then you can raise
more money to pursue your mission and do some good for the world.
Marketing
Matching Gifts
The goal is to
prompt your
donors to submit
their matching
gift forms and
make it as easy as
possible to do so.
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
6
C
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Donation Process
• Website Navigation
• Ways to Give Page
• Social Media
• Last Minute
Reminders
• Dedicated
Matching Gift Page
• Donation Page
• Confirmation Page
• Acknowledgment
Email
• Recognition
Letter|Postcard|Insert
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
7
SECTION II:
Marketing
Through the
Donation Process
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
8
The best time to promote matching gifts is when your donors are actually in the process of
making their donations.
You can incorporate matching gift asks on both your donation forms and your confirmation
screens.
There’s no time like the present, and if people are already in the giving mood, then why not
show them how they can make twice the impact through corporate giving programs.
Individuals proceeding through the donation process are passionate enough about your
organization’s cause to contribute monetarily.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Donation Page
Marketing Through the
Donation Process
By
incorporating
matching
gifts into the
process, you
enable donors
to easily
double their
donations.
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
9
Acknowledgement emails
When you receive a gift, you always say thank you. This thank you message is a great
opportunity to promote matching gifts. The donations are fresh in the donors’ minds, and
a little nudge saying that they can double their donations without sacrificing another cent
can go a long way.
Acknowledgment emails thrive because you can provide links to dedicated matching
gift pages using text or graphics, such as those that Double the Donation provides for its
clients.
Acknowledgement email from the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation
Marketing Through the
Donation Process
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
10
Name
Title
Company
Address
Phone Number
Email
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION!
Find out if your employer matches gifts at
https//:doublethedonation.com/your-organization
Marketing Through the
Donation Process
Above: Example of an email signature including a
link about matching gifts.
EMAIL
SIGNATURES
Chances are that you send
a ton of emails. Every
message is an opportunity
to promote matching gifts.
An email signature typically
details contact information,
but it’s also a great place to
mention matching gifts.
A simple blurb or
a flashy graphic
about corporate
giving can increase
awareness and
be the push that
a donor needs to
submit a matching
gift request.
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
11
SECTION III:
Marketing Across
Your Organization’s
Website
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
12
A website is much more than a homepage, and with so many donors choosing the
convenient option of donating online, the opportunities abound to broadcast matching gift
programs.
Your website is your home on the internet. It’s where you host people everyday. While many
visitors are strangers, the goal is to impress everybody and make sure that all parties leave
feeling satisfied and looking forward to their next visit.
A functional website is a great place to market matching gifts. The majority of nonprofits
permit online donations, so incorporating matching gift marketing alongside regular
donation calls to action on your website is a good practice.
Marketing Across Your
Organization’s Website
Dedicated Matching Gift Page from ASPCA
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
13
Homepage & navigation bar
For the love of matching gifts, let the people know that corporate giving exists! Or at least
make it easy for them to find out.
Linking to a matching gifts page in your navigation bar allows donors to intuitively discover
matching gifts. The links should lead to a dedicated matching gift page, where you can
inform donors about all the nitty-gritty matching gift details.
Marketing Across Your
Organization’s Website
Navigation bar on the homepage of Lafayette Partners in Education
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
14
Blogs
Blogs tell your nonprofit’s
story, so why not share
ways for donors to double
their donations and make
a bigger impact on that
story? Producing featured
content can provide in-
depth stories about the
importance of matching
gifts while simultaneously
educating people on how
to submit the necessary
forms.
Even just including a
graphic that advertises
matching gifts on the side
of a seemingly unrelated
blog can help increase
awareness.
Marketing Across Your
Organization’s Website
Matching gifts incorporated into a blog post
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
15
Educate the user about matching gifts in both a general sense and as they
pertain to your nonprofit.
¾ Matching gift statistics
¾ Matching gift search tool or a list of companies that offer matching gifts
¾ Links to matching gift forms, guidelines, and company submission portals
¾ Explanation of how matching gifts help your nonprofit
¾ List of previous companies to give matching gifts to your organization
¾ Tips on how to submit matching gift requests
Has your nonprofit incorporated matching gift language
across your fundraising communications? If so, what
happens when donors click on the link to matching
gifts on your ways-to-give page, within a matching gift
email, or in a donation confirmation email?
Ideally, they’ll be directed to a landing page dedicated
solely to information about matching gift programs and
the opportunity to find out if their employers participate
in corporate giving.
A dedicated matching gift page can offer relevant facts,
such as matching gift statistics and annual donation
numbers, and allow donors to find company-specific
information using a search tool, like the one that Double
the Donation offers.
What should matching gift pages include?
The goal is to
give donors a
place to both
learn about
matching gifts
and be spurred
into action to
submit the
necessary
forms.
Make it as simple as possible for the donor to research if his or her company
offers a matching gift program.
How to Use Dedicated
Matching Gift Pages
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
16
The nonprofit can build its own dedicated matching gift page that includes a matching gift
search tool, links to forms, lists of companies that participate, and any other information.
How to use dedicated
matching gift pages
Matching Gift Page
Matching gift search tool
List of companies that offer matching gifts
Links to forms other information
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
17
The nonprofit can include a
plug-in, like the one offered by
Double the Donation, on their
dedicated matching gift page and
encourage donors to find out if their
employers will match their gifts.
How to use dedicated
matching gift pages
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
18
The nonprofit can use a hosted
page created by a company, like
Double the Donation, where they can
redirect donors to. This dedicated
matching gift page utilizes Double the
Donation’s matching gift search tool
and extensive database to offer donors
the opportunity to find their company-
specific matching gift information.
How to use dedicated
matching gift pages
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
19
Ways to Give Page
This is where people can learn about all of their options for supporting your nonprofit.
From regular donations to fundraisers to matching gifts, there are a ton of ways to support
your organization, and you want to advertise them all.
Don’t forget to include matching gifts on your Ways to Give page - a little link can lead to a
major increase in revenue.
Marketing Across Your
Organization’s Website
Ways to Give page from the Center for Puppetry Arts
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
20
SECTION IV:
Marketing Across
Communications
with Donors
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
21
Year-End and New Year Appeals
There is always a deadline for matching gift requests. Donations have a shelf life, so you
need to promote matching gifts to eligible donors before the clock runs out.
Year-end and new year appeals remind donors of impending matching gift deadlines.
These appeals can be made via social media, though email appeals allow you to share
some exact deadlines and provide more depth about the importance of submitting
matching gift requests before it’s too late.
Marketing Across
Communications with
Donors
Year-end appeal from Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) on Twitter
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
22
Newsletters
With enough space to write a small blurb or a full article, newsletters give organizations the
chance to educate donors about matching gifts.
A newsletter dedicated to matching gifts is the best strategy, but sharing space with
another topic or including a graphic advertising matching gifts in a newsletter about
another topic can work, too. Loyal donors read your newsletter, so it’s a good place to
provide in-depth information about the benefits of corporate giving.
Marketing Across
Communications with
Donors
Email newsletter from the National Kidney Foundation
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
23
Social media
Why should you focus matching gift marketing efforts on social media?
How do you maximize your social media efforts? Can this all be done without shelling out a
sizeable sum for featured advertisements? Social media is a vital, contemporary marketing
approach through which you will see results without breaking the bank.
People flock to social media to discover the internet’s best content. You don’t need to
produce viral memes every day, but if you want to promote matching gifts, you need to
provide compelling and engaging information on a consistent basis.
There are almost as many social media outlets as there are stars in the sky (give or take a
few), so it’s best to focus on the sites that are most relevant to promoting your matching
gift program: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
Whether or not you employ a matching gift service, a simple tweet or Facebook post can
spread the word to donors.
Marketing Across
Communications with
Donors
Tweet from the American Lung Association of the Midland States
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
24
Email
How do you spend no money, grab the
attention of thousands of people, and
expend zero breath? Email.
Email provides instantaneous outreach
to donors, so you can say, “Hi. What’s
up? Have you thought about matching
gifts today?” and people can reply just
as fast.
Acquiring matching gifts through
email is a lot like a game of chess.
There are multiple pieces that all do
different things, and while one piece
could win the game all on its own,
it’s more likely that a focused strategy
and a team effort will produce optimal
results.
Success hinges on a slow, steady
procession of the right moves and not
reckless bombardment with any and
all email.
Marketing Across
Communications with
Donors
Email from the National Kidney Foundation
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
25
Direct mail
Welcome to the wide world of matching gift marketing materials that require a good old
fashioned stamp. Direct mail includes letters, postcards, paper inserts, newsletters, and
return envelopes, all of which might sound like archaic forms of marketing. However, when
you’re marketing matching gifts both online and off, you’re reaching a wider audience,
which means more matching gifts, and isn’t that the goal? You think paper marketing is
out of date? We have news for you.
The debate between paper books and e-readers has raged on for years, and the dispute
is analogous to deciding between print versus online marketing. A recent study reported
that people who use e-readers are worse at story comprehension. Readers of paper texts
are better at both placing plot
points in order and mentally
reconstructing stories. This means
that when people read paper
mail, as opposed to email, they
might be reading the same
content, but interaction with
physical ink and paper somehow
helps people to better remember
what they’re reading.
You don’t just want people
to read about matching gift
programs, you want people to
remember them.
Marketing Across
Communications with
Donors
Matching gift postcard from the University of Michigan
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
26
SECTION V:
How Can Double
the Donation
Help?
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
Guide Provided by Double the Donation
https://doublethedonation.com
27
How Can Double the Donation
Help Market Matching Gifts?
Double the Donation’s team maintains the most extensive database of companies and
subsidiaries that match donations from their employees to nonprofits, and our tools
provide an easy way for your nonprofit to share the necessary, company-specific matching
gift information with your donors.
Basically, Double the Donation provides all the instructions and information that your
donors need in order to submit matching gift requests.
BENEFITS:
Oftentimes, all donors need is a bit of guidance on how
to get their donations matched.
Donors enter their employers’ names and gain immediate
access to matching-gift-eligibility, guidance, forms,
and more.
Double the Donation’s team maintains up-to-date records
on corporate employee giving programs, so you don’t
have to. This ensures that your donors receive accurate
and useful matching gift and volunteer grant information.
Marketing resources are also provided to help nonprofits
promote matching gifts to donors.
Everything Double the Donation’s service does is
specifically designed to help your nonprofit maximize the
amount of money being raised from employee matching
gift and volunteer grant programs.
GETTING STARTED:
The setup is quick and easy. Organizations can get up
and running with Double the Donation’s Premium Plan
instantly by signing up at https://doublethedonation�com�
You can also learn more about Double the Donation’s
most robust, fully automated tool, 360MatchPro,
at https://360MatchPro�com�
PREMIUM PLAN:
¾ Links to companies’
submission processes (both
paper forms and electronic
portals)
¾ Easy-to-understand
instructions & guidelines for
donors
¾ Minimum & maximum
amounts matched
¾ Matching gift ratios
¾ Volunteer grant information
¾ Company contact information
360MATCHPRO:
¾ All Premium Plan features
¾ Automated email outreach
and follow-up
¾ Actionable insights for
improving matching gift efforts
¾ Tracking of all matching gift
opportunities
