One of many largest world giving pushes on this planet, Giving Tuesday, might be right here this 12 months earlier than we all know it. So now could be the time to arrange for Giving Tuesday matching presents success.
Falling annually on the primary Tuesday instantly after Thanksgiving, this worldwide day of generosity can have an incredible affect on nonprofit fundraisers. Final 12 months boasted a record-breaking giving day, with 37 million taking part adults contributing over $3.1 billion within the U.S. alone. And company matching presents empower nonprofits to double their fundraising success.
Nevertheless, many organizations didn’t understand their fullest potential when it got here to matching presents. In spite of everything, greater than $4 to $7 billion in out there match funds goes unclaimed on an annual foundation. That is largely resulting from a lack of expertise by eligible donors who don’t in the end request the related match funding from their employers. Taking steps to safe this income to your group as you head into the end-of-year giving season can go a good distance.
On this information, we’ll stroll you thru the unrivaled worth of company gift-matching—and knowledgeable practices your staff can implement to make every donation rely extra.
Understanding Your Giving Tuesday Matching Reward Potential
Matching presents can dramatically enhance fundraising outcomes. On Giving Tuesday, organizations anticipate to see elevated donor engagement, surges in incoming funds, and extra. And the staff behind Giving Tuesday experiences that campaigns leveraging donation-matching sometimes increase 3-5x extra than these that don’t.
However why is that this—and the way does it affect your fundraising group?
Matching presents are some of the extensively utilized sorts of company philanthropy by firms of all shapes, sizes, and sectors. When donors give to their favourite nonprofits, their employers pledge to match these presents with their very own funds. It’s basically the “Purchase One, Get One Free” sale of fundraising.
Not solely do matching presents present an accessible type of company giving income, however they have a tendency to drive particular person involvement in fundraising as properly. Actually, our analysis signifies that 84% of surveyed donors usually tend to contribute to a fundraising marketing campaign if a match is out there. On the identical time, 1 in 3 supporters said that they’d improve the dimensions of their donation in the event that they knew it might be matched.
This leads to fundraising appeals that incorporate matching presents producing a 71% improve in response price and a 51% improve in common donation quantity.
Beforehand, Giving Tuesday boasted over 31 million donors’ presents being matched by their employers. These accomplished matches introduced in an extra $29.7 million in fundraising income. This 12 months, we’re hoping to beat these numbers—and the Double the Donation staff is right here that will help you accomplish that.
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14 Tricks to Incorporate Matching Presents in Your Giving Tuesday Plan
We’ve plenty of expertise working with fundraising organizations to optimize their matching present methods. Thus, we all know the best strategies for driving matching present success this Giving Tuesday and past.
Try these tried-and-true practices as your staff begins crafting its giving day fundraising plan. Then, decide how one can implement the following tips in your individual technique.
1. Introduce matching presents in inside Giving Tuesday preparations.
Greater than doubtless, your group plans to host some form of devoted Giving Tuesday coaching main as much as the massive day. This will contain establishing a fundraising timeline, crafting donor-facing messaging, and setting particular targets to make sure your complete staff is on the identical web page.
One of many first issues you are able to do to set your nonprofit up for Giving Tuesday success is to include matching presents all through these preparations.
Getting your fundraising employees on board with the chance lets you empower them as a few of your best matching present advocates.
And how will you accomplish that? All of it begins with advertising and marketing matching presents to your inside staff.
Particularly, you’ll need to cowl:
- The fundamentals of company matching present packages (i.e., what they’re, widespread stipulations, and so forth.)
- The affect that company gift-matching can have in your fundraising efforts (donation response charges and present sizes, company partnerships, supporter engagement)
- An outline of the matching present cycle (from identification to submission and funding disbursement) and the right way to help donors by way of the method
- How staff members can take advantage of any matching present know-how in your fundraising software program toolkit
- Learn how to study extra in regards to the alternative (attend a webinar, enroll in Double the Donation’s Matching Reward Academy)
Take into account using plenty of communication channels to have interaction your inside viewers (comparable to fundraising employees, entrepreneurs, board members, key volunteers, and extra). This will embrace in-person or digital displays, emails, and different assets to unfold consciousness.
In the end, it’s essential that you simply get your staff excited to take advantage of matching presents come Giving Tuesday and past.
2. Set up an identical present fundraising aim beforehand.
Identical to you most likely have (or could have) a aim that represents your supporters’ complete giving on Giving Tuesday, it’s a good suggestion to determine a separate aim unique to matching presents for the marketing campaign. No matter whether or not you decide to measure complete income by way of company presents or the variety of donations efficiently matched, monitoring targets is the important thing to figuring out success and provoking engagement.
To set a lofty but practical matching present fundraising aim this Giving Tuesday, you’ll first need to analyze your previous fundraising and matching present efficiency. For instance, let’s say your staff collected $1,000 value of matching presents related to Giving Tuesday donations final 12 months—with little to no promotional exercise round company matching. This 12 months, you’ll be able to anticipate to see a big improve by taking a proactive strategy to informing donors, encouraging participation, and even automating the matching present expertise.
From there, make sure you talk this aim (and your progress towards it) main as much as, throughout, and after your Giving Tuesday marketing campaign. Aiming for a particular goal will can help you set up a way of urgency and encourage eligible supporters to take their subsequent steps. Attempt utilizing a fundraising thermometer in your marketing campaign web page, social media, or donor messaging as an example your motion towards the matching present aim in a visible method.
Be aware: As you set your aim, nevertheless, remember the fact that the disbursement of matching present funds is commonly delayed. That stated, monitoring your matching present participation by the entire quantity or worth of matches recognized—or the variety of matching presents requested—may be a wonderful substitute. That is particularly helpful for a time-bound marketing campaign in the course of the giving season!
3. Take into account partaking taglines, graphics, and blurbs.
Many nonprofits commit vital time, power, and creativity to planning and executing their Giving Tuesday fundraising efforts. And sometimes, the campaigns with essentially the most distinctive and fascinating components are those that stand out and see the best degree of success.
The Giving Tuesday organizers even encourage nonprofits to customise the official marketing campaign brand to finest join with their very own audiences for that reason.
So, what does that imply to your matching present efforts on at the present time?
We, just like the Giving Tuesday staff, encourage you to get artistic along with your promotions. Which may imply developing with ingenious taglines, crafting novel hashtags, designing eye-catching graphics, or writing witty blurbs. Whereas the aim is to drive participation in your matching present marketing campaign, the trail to get there includes distinctive content material and actionable messaging.
Listed here are just a few examples to contemplate. Be at liberty to regulate these concepts to replicate your group’s mission, voice, and elegance!
Double the #GivingTuesday Love
Promote company matching presents as a option to amplify the affect of donations on Giving Tuesday. Any such effort pairs properly with match-related imagery to represent the doubling of donations. As an illustration—pairs of animals, twins posing in similar outfits, matching (or mismatched) socks, and extra. If it’s one thing related to your mission, that’s even higher.
By emphasizing that donors’ contributions could also be matched, you’ll be able to reiterate the way in which that every present can multiply in worth to your trigger.
After #GivingTuesday comes #MatchingWednesday
One other concept includes partaking your donors in matching presents the day after Giving Tuesday. By introducing a #MatchingWednesday follow-up marketing campaign, you’ll be able to retain your group on the forefront of supporters’ minds for longer. Plus, permit them to stretch their presents with out re-opening their wallets.
To not point out, a lot of the Giving Tuesday buzz could have settled down. This implies you’ll have much less competitors to your viewers’s consideration and certain a extra outstanding spot of their inboxes. Nevertheless, it nonetheless lets you capitalize on the momentum of Giving Tuesday to drive continued giving and affect.
4. Get impressed by different nonprofits’ matching present efforts.
Typically one of the best ways to encourage your individual group’s fundraising initiatives is to try different nonprofits which have seen nice success of their efforts. On the subject of matching presents on Giving Tuesday, exploring organizations which have carried out so successfully in earlier years may also help inform your staff’s technique.
We’ve positioned just a few standout examples of Giving Tuesday matching presents campaigns that engaged their audiences, knowledgeable supporters of matching present alternatives, and in the end drove extra matches to completion.
First, these matching present banners had been included into one of many largest healthcare and analysis organizations’ Giving Tuesday pages:
This group repeatedly highlights the matching present alternative all through its marketing campaign touchdown web page. It additionally makes use of a custom-made Giving Tuesday brand to draw the viewers’s consideration and enlists donor-centric language to name the supporter to instant motion.
To not point out, this nonprofit additionally equips its supporters with an identical present automation platform. This makes it faster and simpler than ever earlier than for donors to double their affect with a match from their employer!
Right here’s one other instance from an animal welfare and repair canine coaching group selling matching presents in its Giving Tuesday marketing campaign:
This visually targeted marketing campaign makes use of the “cuteness issue” to catch supporters’ eyes and elicit an emotional response to the fundraising enchantment. With matching canine pictures to signify the matching donation alternative, the group goals to drive donations and matches with a mission-relevant customized graphic.
And once more, this group leverages matching present software program to simplify the worker matching present expertise for its donors! The less complicated it’s for supporters to finish the match request course of, the extra income a staff can anticipate from the funding supply.
Subsequent, a Utah-based meals financial institution incorporates an identical present enchantment on its Giving Tuesday web page, as seen beneath:
This effort focuses closely on the group’s affect. Not solely does the marketing campaign graphic fairly actually put a face to the fundraising want, however it additionally shares a related statistic that emphasizes the significance of donor giving for the nonprofit’s viewers. And it permits the supporter to see how their potential present could make twice the distinction!
Plus, with an identical present software program on this meals financial institution’s Giving Tuesday tech stack, supporters can obtain details about and take part of their employers’ matching present packages with just some straightforward (and guided) steps.
Lastly, take a look at this instance from an environmental nonprofit based mostly in Los Angeles, California:
This Giving Tuesday matching presents promotion incorporates a devoted weblog submit on the group’s web site. The content material shares a number of straightforward ways in which supporters can strengthen their donations when taking part within the giving day marketing campaign and is designed to help the fundraiser in maximizing particular person help.
The methods highlighted embrace making a recurring donation, contributing presents of inventory, amplifying the group’s efforts with word-of-mouth advertising and marketing, and, in fact, taking part in worker matching presents.
5. Learn up on firms with Giving Tuesday matching packages.
Greater than 24,000 firms have recognized matching present packages worldwide. A few of the most notable examples embrace Basic Electrical, Microsoft, Google, Walt Disney Firm, Coca-Cola, and House Depot. As these are usually organized as a year-long initiative, workers who work for these firms will doubtless qualify to have their Giving Tuesday donations matched.
Nevertheless, it’s additionally value noting that some companies choose to go above and past with their matching present packages—particularly for Giving Tuesday! Familiarizing your employees with prime matching present packages beforehand will can help you put together to finest share the knowledge with donors who work for these firms. To not point out, selling Giving Tuesday-specific matches is a good way to incentivize giving and matching by eligible workers.
As an illustration, the businesses beneath have elevated their matching present ratios to multiply worker presents made on Giving Tuesday at a better price.
The Estée Lauder Firms
Sometimes matching donations at a 1:1 price (i.e., a $50 present produces a $50 match), Estée Lauder gives its workers a “double-matching presents” program on Giving Tuesday. When a qualifying employees member makes a donation on Giving Tuesday, the corporate in the end triples the present for the group.
Fiserv, Inc.
Fiserv usually matches worker presents at an ordinary 1:1 match price. Nevertheless, presents made on Giving Tuesday had been multiplied at a better degree—providing a limited-time 2:1 matching present ratio.
Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc., matching presents by way of the Caterpillar Basis, incentivizes participation in Giving Tuesday by its workers by providing a better 2:1 match. This limited-time motivator is usually hosted for the 2 weeks main as much as Giving Tuesday whereas the corporate establishes an annual match restrict of $1.5 million.
BlackRock
BlackRock encourages worker giving on giving days by providing a 2:1 match ratio for presents made in the course of the span of Giving Tuesday. For many different donations all year long, nevertheless, the corporate matches at an ordinary 1:1 price.
Elevance Well being
Although this firm sometimes matches presents at a dollar-for-dollar price, staff member presents contributed on Giving Tuesday had been matched at a 3:1 ratio. Which means if an worker provides $100, Elevance Well being matches with $300—basically quadrupling the worth of the preliminary present.
6. Suggest Giving Tuesday customized match packages with company companions.
Sadly, some firms nonetheless don’t have extensively accessible matching present packages—however that doesn’t imply you need to surrender on match alternatives for these donors. It simply means you could regulate your technique! And one tactic that we advocate goes significantly properly with Giving Days, end-of-year fundraising, and different time-based initiatives: customized (or one-off) matching present packages.
Right here’s the way it works: As you put together for Giving Tuesday, find an organization that employs an honest section of your donor base however doesn’t presently match staff members’ donations. Attain out to that firm’s management (or encourage your donors to achieve out themselves to forge a connection) and suggest a devoted matching present partnership for Giving Tuesday.
As soon as agreed upon, your staff will add the customized program to your matching present search software. (Trace: Nonprofits utilizing Double the Donation’s platform can add one-off initiatives to their database utilizing the distinctive program administration function.) This fashion, it’ll populate in qualifying donors’ employer queries when the marketing campaign is dwell.
In this kind of program, the corporate would commit solely to matching presents to your group, doubtless inside a set marketing campaign window on or round this 12 months’s annual Giving Day. And it’s a good way for unfamiliar employers to turn into acquainted with worker donation-matching, too!
*As a notice, this function is designed particularly for fundraisers seeking to handle customized matching present initiatives—360MatchPro does not work straight with firms. If you happen to’re an organization fascinated with creating an identical present program, contact us, and we’ll share details about our company vendor companions.
7. Share about Giving Tuesday and matching presents on social media.
Your group’s social media profiles are doubtless a few of your best advertising and marketing and communications belongings—particularly relating to your fundraising efforts. As Giving Tuesday is a largely digital marketing campaign, leveraging your on-line presence is a should. And selling matching present alternatives by way of these channels may be significantly impactful.
Previous to the massive day, teaser posts can create anticipation by highlighting not solely the upcoming Giving Tuesday marketing campaign but in addition the chance to amplify donation affect with worker matching presents.
Try the pattern submit beneath—and make sure you hyperlink to your matching presents web page within the caption to offer further data.
At the beginning of Giving Tuesday, take into account posting one thing like this (trace: it can be added to your giving day marketing campaign web page!). Once more, make certain it sends viewers to your match web page or donation kind, empowering supporters to study extra and become involved.
Then, all through the day, real-time updates (comparable to progress towards your normal fundraising and matching present targets) can showcase engagement and encourage giving by way of social proof.
Quickly after Giving Tuesday concludes, share one thing like this to acknowledge and recognize donor giving and encourage them to take the following steps:
Bear in mind: constant messaging throughout these phases enhances engagement, prompts urgency, and extends your marketing campaign’s affect. To not point out, you additionally present digital content material that’s simply shareable for donors who need to improve their affect even additional by spreading the phrase in regards to the alternative to their very own networks!
8. Don’t overlook about volunteer grants.
Giving Tuesday isn’t nearly giving financially, both. Many nonprofit supporters worldwide select to have interaction with this world day of giving by donating their time and expertise. Thus, be certain that your staff isn’t overlooking one other sort of office giving program: volunteer grants!
Sadly, like conventional matching presents, many eligible workers stay utterly unaware of the chance out there to them. By informing the volunteers who help your nonprofit’s efforts in regards to the probability to amplify their affect with volunteer grants, your staff can additional improve engagement on—and lengthy after—Giving Tuesday.
Encourage current volunteers to analysis their employers’ giving packages to find out eligibility. (Trace: You probably have entry to an identical present database, see if it accommodates volunteer grant data, too. Double the Donation’s does!) Then, ask that your volunteers apply for these grants to help your group.
9. Spotlight matching presents in your marketing campaign touchdown web page and giving kind.
You doubtless anticipate plenty of internet visitors heading to your Giving Tuesday marketing campaign touchdown web page. Don’t let this useful resource go to waste! As an alternative, incorporate details about company matching present packages to make sure every customer is uncovered to the chance.
Not solely will this improve the chance that qualifying donors in the end full their matches, however it will possibly additionally encourage extra supporters to offer within the first place.
From there, donors will click on to entry your donation kind and supply the knowledge required to course of the present. Along with the fundamentals—comparable to their title, supposed donation quantity, and fee particulars—we additionally advocate amassing employment data.
When supporters present the title of the corporate they work for, will probably be simpler to uncover eligible presents and observe up with focused directions for finishing the match.
Trace: In case your staff has bought an identical present database software program, it’s a good suggestion to embed your search software on each the Giving Tuesday touchdown web page and your on-line giving kind. This widget can acquire firm knowledge within the donation course of and supply program tips and hyperlinks to submission kinds out of your affirmation web page—making it as straightforward as attainable to your donors!
10. Craft an inspiring matching present ask.
Your matching present enchantment is without doubt one of the most important parts of your Giving Tuesday matching presents plan. Crafting an ask that incites your supposed motion—donors finishing company matching presents in your behalf—requires a strategic mix of urgency, emotion, and data. As you start workshopping your match enchantment, take into account borrowing ideas and methods out of your broader donation requests.
For instance, the official Giving Tuesday toolkit supplies a framework for establishing impactful fundraising asks. This features a…
- Perception assertion — a declaration of the group’s core values and convictions (ex: “We imagine that no scholar ought to have to decide on between meals and studying.”)
- You assertion — an evidence of the donor’s function within the marketing campaign and the way their help may also help (ex: “You’ll be able to assist us inventory the pantry in order that no scholar goes hungry.”)
- Alternative assertion — a name to motion inspiring donors to become involved (ex: “Are you with us?”)
Working off these three components, right here’s a pattern matching present enchantment the identical establishment may use to advertise corporate-matching alternatives on Giving Tuesday:
- Perception assertion — “Matching presents have the potential to multiply our college’s fundraising affect, in the end offering much-needed help for college students in our group.”
- You assertion — “By finishing a short on-line submission kind to your employer, you’ll be able to double the worth of your preliminary donation to our meals pantry fundraiser, permitting extra college students to learn from important meals and assets.”
- Alternative assertion — “Will you click on right here to finish your matching present request?”
As all the time, simply keep in mind to regulate this pattern messaging to replicate your group’s personal mission, imaginative and prescient, and fundraising want.
11. Construct out your fundraising and matching present tech stack.
Powering your Giving Tuesday marketing campaign with the fitting software program is crucial for optimum fundraising outcomes.
The Giving Tuesday staff recommends testing your know-how by strolling by way of all the giving course of from the donor’s perspective. This lets you gauge the consumer expertise, establish any roadblocks, and guarantee seamless giving come Giving Tuesday. We propose going a step additional and likewise testing out your matching present expertise!
As you make your take a look at donation, ask your self the next questions:
- Does the giving web page request my employment data?
- Does the affirmation web page encourage me to pursue a company matching present, if relevant?
- If I supplied my employment data, does the affirmation web page populate with company-specific program particulars?
- If I supplied my employment data, am I supplied with a hyperlink to my firm’s on-line match request kind?
- Do I obtain a follow-up e mail that accommodates detailed data on the matching present course of and urges me to finish my match?
If you happen to discover areas with room for enchancment in your technique—or establish vital gaps in your tech stack—start tackling any points that come up instantly. You need to make certain you present your supporters with the very best expertise attainable, and an built-in fundraising platform and matching present software can do loads!
12. Ship post-transaction matching present outreach.
After donors contribute to your Giving Tuesday marketing campaign, make certain they’re knowledgeable (or reminded) about matching present alternatives to maintain them engaged. Sending post-transaction match-related outreach is a good way to make the most of your already excessive ranges of donor engagement.
It’s necessary to offer clear directions on how supporters can provoke the matching course of with their employers. And for the very best outcomes, timing issues! Double the Donation research point out that matching present emails despatched inside 24 hours of a donation being made see a 53% open price. That’s 2-3x the common nonprofit e mail open price.
Plus, with an identical present software program, you’ll be able to automate tailor-made messaging in order that your fundraising staff doesn’t should carry a finger.
Free useful resource: Try our pattern matching present letters to get a head begin in your group’s matching present communications. Customise our free templates to finest have interaction your viewers!
13. Enlist supporters to advocate for matching presents in your behalf.
One other key part of Giving Tuesday participation is advocacy. Thus, utilizing this opportunity to empower your nonprofit supporters to advocate for matching presents on behalf of your group and its mission needs to be a no brainer.
For instance, not your whole donors will work for employers which have current matching present packages. But when an worker had been to ask the corporate to rethink its office giving choices by matching presents, it may make an enormous distinction. Thus, enlisting supporters as advocates for matching presents on (or main as much as) Giving Tuesday may also help your staff amplify its long-term affect and engagement—even when it doesn’t end result instantly in a match.
Take into account sharing a customizable e mail template, like this one, along with your supporters:
Topic line: Request for a company matching present program at [company name]
Hello [company leader],
I’m writing to request the addition of a company matching present program at [company name].
Hundreds of firms supply worker matching present packages as a option to help their employees and provides again to their communities.
These packages additionally have a tendency to learn firms when it comes to worker engagement and retention, alternatives to draw aggressive candidates, improved model picture, elevated gross sales, and extra.
Thanks to your consideration,
[Your name]
[Job position]
To not point out, donors may also advocate for matching presents to their mates, households, colleagues, and extra. We beforehand talked about that tons of match-eligible people stay unaware of the chance, and your supporters may also help bridge the data hole by spreading the phrase!
14. Thank donors for all their involvement in your Giving Tuesday efforts.
On the conclusion of Giving Tuesday, it’s time to shift your efforts from an ongoing marketing campaign to post-fundraising stewardship and retention. And for matching present donors, doing so is extra necessary than ever!
Thanking supporters for his or her involvement in your marketing campaign is important for constructing and strengthening lasting relationships. Within the days following Giving Tuesday, automate customized thank-you emails, make cellphone calls, or ship handwritten letters that specific gratitude for donors’ help.
Then, as matching presents are accomplished, don’t overlook to ship match-related acknowledgments, as properly! We advocate thanking donors at two key factors: as soon as they verify that they’ve submitted their match request and after your group receives their employer’s match.
Plus, when you had supporters become involved by way of volunteerism, advocacy, or different worker giving packages, make sure you thank them for his or her engagement, too.
Subsequent Steps
With Giving Tuesday shortly approaching, there’s no higher time to revamp your group’s matching present efforts. You actually don’t need to overlook this key income or the person and company engagement alternatives it brings. To optimize your technique, it’s necessary to take a proactive strategy to matching presents.
However keep in mind: equipping your fundraising staff with the fitting instruments to take action is a should. Automation lets you take advantage of matching presents with out investing a lot of your (maybe already stretched-thin) time and assets.
And it’s not simply useful on the massive day, both. An identical present platform can improve matching presents all through the remainder of your giving season, into the brand new 12 months, and past.
Begin prepping for Giving Tuesday! Get your matching presents technique prepared by exploring these further guides:
