4 Tips to Acquire Corporate Sponsorships for Your Nonprofit

, ,

Corporate sponsorships are beneficial for nonprofits for various reasons, the largest of which is increased financial support for their mission. Plus, with funding from donors and sponsors, nonprofits will be able to diversify their revenue streams, resulting in a more sustainable financial future.

If you’re looking for tips to secure more sponsorships for your organization, you’re in the right place. With this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to acquire future partnerships, regardless of whether you need them for funding an event, community program, or your next capital campaign.

1. Understand the benefits of sponsorship for businesses.

A sponsorship is a partnership, not a donation, which means that your nonprofit needs to make it worthwhile for potential sponsors. This means offering benefits businesses would find valuable in exchange for their funds. To do that, you need to understand the motivations of organizations that sponsor nonprofits.

Generally, sponsors are looking for the following benefits:

  • Greater brand visibility. According to MassageBook, it’s common for two or more businesses to partner to gain access to the others’ audiences. This means that businesses are specifically looking to sponsor other organizations, like nonprofits, that can increase the visibility of their brand, products, and services, resulting in more customers.
  • Improved reputation. In today’s competitive business environment, companies are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to set themselves apart from their competitors. Supporting a charitable cause will help them improve their reputation as a socially responsible enterprise. Plus, studies have shown that consumers are four to six times more likely to purchase from purpose-driven companies, making a nonprofit partnership even more valuable for businesses.

As you develop your corporate sponsorship strategy, keep these benefits in mind. Focus your communications and proposals on what you can do to form a mutually beneficial partnership that helps you both secure a sustainable financial future.

2. Offer a variety of sponsorship packages.

Sponsorships shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Businesses will have different partnership needs and different financial capacities to give. To accommodate these needs, Double the Donation recommends offering various sponsorship levels and packages. Then, potential sponsors can choose how deeply they’d like to get involved with your nonprofit based on these levels.

For best results, clearly outline the benefits your sponsor will receive in exchange for their sponsorship amount. Here’s an example of what you might offer an event sponsor in exchange for their funds:

  • Basic package ($1,000): Acknowledgement of sponsorship in end-of-event thank-you communications.
  • Bronze package ($5,000): Sponsor’s logo added to the event webpage and perk from the previous sponsorship level.
  • Silver package ($10,000): Sponsor’s logo incorporated in event marketing materials, messages, and communications, and all perks from previous sponsorship levels.
  • Gold package ($25,000): Sponsor’s logo prominently displayed on all event materials (including signage and banners), dedicated public thank-you messages on social media posts and email newsletters, complimentary event tickets for company representatives, and all perks from previous sponsorship levels.
  • Platinum package ($50,000): Recognition as a top sponsor of the event, verbal thank-yous during event announcements and in the event’s ending speech, access to VIP events for company representatives, and all perks from previous sponsorship levels.

For instance, a local massage business may be interested in sponsoring your event. However, if they’re newly established, they probably don’t have a lot of extra funds to spare. That’s where your basic sponsorship package comes in—with it, you’ll be able to capture a partnership with this business at a level they’re comfortable with and you benefit from.

3. Thoroughly research potential sponsors.

Unfortunately, not all businesses will be interested in sponsoring your nonprofit. To save your staff members time on proposing sponsorships to organizations that probably won’t be interested, thoroughly research any potential sponsors. In particular, pay attention to if they:

  • Operate in your community. If the business operates in the same community as your nonprofit, this commonality increases the likelihood that they’ll partner with you.
  • Work in a similar vertical. If your nonprofit and the business share a vertical, then it’s likely there’s some overlap between your audiences. A partnership with your organization will give the business another touchpoint with its audience, increasing visibility.
  • Are charitably-inclined. Look for businesses that participate in corporate philanthropy in some way. This could mean they’ve previously sponsored a nonprofit, have a dedicated corporate giving program, or have social good initiatives for their operations.
  • Have the capacity to give. If a business is struggling, its funds will be reserved for its operations. When identifying potential sponsors, look for markers that show the business is doing well and will have extra funds for opportunities such as a nonprofit sponsorship.

Keep an eye out for these generosity indicators to help you determine which businesses are worth pursuing for sponsorships. After you’ve pinpointed a list of qualified candidates, send out sponsorship letters that clearly outline what you and the potential sponsor will receive from your partnership.

4. Don’t overlook in-kind sponsorship.

When most nonprofits discuss sponsorships, they’re usually thinking of receiving funds from businesses. However, in-kind sponsorships can be just as useful and save your nonprofit from spending your hard-earned revenue.

Much like in-kind donations, in-kind sponsorships refer to partnerships where the sponsor provides non-financial benefits like goods or services. This is another way to capture a partnership with an organization that may not have the financial means to sponsor your nonprofit but has other offerings you can benefit from.

For example, let’s say you’re planning a black-tie fundraising gala and you need a suitable event venue. Instead of renting a venue for potentially thousands of dollars, you can contact hotels, country clubs, and other event centers and ask them if they’d be willing to sponsor your event. In exchange for marketing benefits, your nonprofit will be able to use the sponsor’s facilities for free or at a discounted rate.

Or, if your nonprofit is looking to upgrade your tech stack, you may seek out a sponsorship from a company that works in developing business software. Employees from this business can consult with you about your software needs and configure your existing software to better fit your preferences. This is especially helpful if your nonprofit doesn’t employ any particularly tech-savvy staff members.

As you connect with potential sponsors, be sure to steward them just as you would your supporters. Even if a sponsor turns down your request, it’s still worthwhile to stay in communication, as they may be open to a future partnership. For sponsors that accept your request, keep them apprised of the program or event they’re sponsoring. And be sure to update them on how their generosity has impacted your nonprofit!

/by

How Employer Appends Help Your Nonprofit Raise More

,

Is your nonprofit making the most of its fundraising opportunities? With employer appends, you can use donor data to improve fundraising efforts.

Employer appends use donor data to give nonprofits information about their donors’ employers. This includes information about matching gift programs, a corporate social responsibility program that allows your donors to double gifts at no extra cost. The employer append process can be a challenge if you’re taking it on alone, but there are plenty of great services to consider.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert in data-driven fundraising, this guide is a great resource for your nonprofit. In this piece we’ll discuss:

Employer appends could be the thing your nonprofit needs to elevate its fundraising efforts and boost revenue. Let’s get started with an overview of employer appends.

Click to get a quote so you can upgrade your fundraising strategy with employer appends.

What are employer appends?

Employer appends add data about donors to your organization’s existing database. More specifically, these appends include information about donors’ employers.

The insights found through employer appends are beneficial to nonprofits in many ways. The main advantage for nonprofits is identifying possible corporate social responsibility (CSR) opportunities.

Employer appends are easy to understand, but it may not be clear why they are important. The next sections focus on why employer appends are valuable and what you need to get started.

Why are employer appends valuable?

Capitalizing on CSR opportunities is one of the biggest reasons to use employer appends. But, employer appends offer other valuable insights. Pieces of information like a donor’s job title or their general industry can provide valuable information as well.

Here’s how the main pieces of information provided by an employer append can boost fundraising for your nonprofit:

  • Employer name: Learning a donor’s employer’s name unlocks a wealth of information about their CSR programs. Once you have access to this information, your organization can research how the employer makes good on its CSR promise. For example, if you discover that many of your donors work at the same employer, consider asking that employer to host a sponsored event with your nonprofit.
  • Job title: A donor’s job title gives away a lot of information about them. First, their position indicates how much leverage they have at work— would they be the appropriate avenue for a possible partnership? Second, their role can roughly demonstrate the donor’s financial giving capacity.
  • Matching gift information: This information tells you whether a donor’s employer offers a matching gift program. These programs fall under the umbrella of CSR and mean that employers will match their employees’ gifts to nonprofits. If you and your donors are aware of these programs, your organization can double its revenue at no extra cost to you or the donor.

Learn these key insights by simply running an employer append. Then, your nonprofit can begin to capitalize on CSR opportunities and learn more about its supporters.

What is needed for an employer append?

Employer appends supplement the donor data you already have. But, there are a few pieces of data you need before getting started. The most important donor information is donor email and mailing addresses. If you don’t have this information, check out NPOInfo’s email and address append services.

These are the 8 pieces of data that make employer appends highly accurate.

While these basic pieces of data are the most important, many data appending services ask for more data points. Typically, the more data you can provide, the more accurate the employer append will be. This includes information such as:

  • Unique donor ID number
  • Donor name
  • Region of residence
  • Phone number
  • College or university attended
  • Graduation year
  • Most recent gift amount
  • Most recent gift date

Don’t worry if your nonprofit doesn’t have every data point on this list as they aren’t all necessary. However, you can keep these data points in mind as you gather more donor data going forward, to boost the accuracy of any future employer appends.

Keeping data clean and organized can also expedite the employer append process. Data hygiene refers to taking steps to regularly clean data, making it more efficient to analyze. Good data hygiene includes practices like removing outdated or irrelevant data, maintaining a standard means of data entry, and keeping data organized.

Employer Appends for Nonprofits: Using Donor Data in Fundraising

Donor data shouldn’t go untouched on your organization’s computers, especially when it can be so useful. There are plenty of practical ways to use donor data in your fundraising strategy. Investing in donor data analysis will be reflected in increased fundraising opportunities and revenue.

Fundraising Data Analytics

This explains what fundraising data analytics are.
Fundraising data analytics uses donor data to recognize patterns and trends. These patterns inform nonprofits about how to shape or adjust their fundraising strategies. Good donor data is the foundation that fundraising data analytics is built on, so data upkeep should be a priority.

Within fundraising data analytics, there are three distinct types. Here is a quick breakdown of the three types of fundraising data analytics:

  • Descriptive fundraising analytics: Donor data is used to classify donors. These classifications are usually made based on demographic information like age. Other factors like average gift size can also be used to group donors by their willingness to give.
  • Predictive fundraising analytics: Predictive analytics are used to predict donors’ giving behaviors. These predictions are made based on past behaviors. Often, they use metrics like growth in donation size.
  • Prescriptive fundraising analytics: Here, patterns, trends, and donor classifications are combined to create a strategy. In other words, this stage involves setting up a new and improved fundraising strategy based on insights from prior stages.

While employer appends are a small piece of fundraising data analytics, donor data is crucial to both. Build a strong foundation for analytics and revenue growth by gathering strong, organized data.

Capitalize on Fundraising Opportunities

Donor data can prevent losses on potential revenue opportunities. With employer appends, your nonprofit can identify these opportunities in time to use them.

Employer appends are great at catching matching gift opportunities. There is a lack of awareness about these programs amongst donors—with 78% of donors unsure if their company offers a matching gift program—making it difficult to bring in matching gift donations. The problem is even harder to address if nonprofits are unsure which of their donors have access to these programs.

To better understand just how valuable matching gifts are, check out Double the Donation’s matching gift statistics:

  • Companies donate about $2-$3 billion in matching gift funds each year.
  • $4-$7 billion in potential matching gift funds go unclaimed each year.
  • Out of 250 multi-billion-dollar companies surveyed by Forbes, 92% offer some sort of matching gift program.
  • 1 in 3 donors indicate they’d give a larger gift if they knew it was being matched by their employer.
  • 84% of donors are more likely to donate if they know their gift will be matched.
  • When you mention matching gifts in fundraising appeals, you can expect a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average donation amount.

Fortunately, employer appends allow you to tap into this incredible fundraising opportunity by simplifying the matching gift eligibility process. After identifying which donors’ workplaces offer matching gift programs, nonprofits can spread awareness of the programs. One way to do this is to send donors matching gift letters that urge them to take advantage of the programs.

In addition to matching gift programs, corporate social responsibility programs support nonprofits in other ways. Many companies actively seek out nonprofits to support with grants. Taking advantage of additional CSR programs is a great way to garner support from sources beyond individual donors.

Another common CSR program is a volunteer grant program. While matching gift programs match employee donations to nonprofits, volunteer grant programs incentivize employee volunteerism by donating to the nonprofits they volunteer with based on the number of volunteer hours they log. Employer appends can help you to identify which of your volunteers’ employers offer volunteer grant opportunities. Then, you can notify these volunteers to follow up with their companies by sending in a volunteer grant request.

Tailor Fundraising Campaigns

Certain pieces of donor data help nonprofits tailor their campaigns to their audience. Not only does this indicate a better understanding of your organization’s supporters, but narrowly targeting your audience can also be more effective. Knowing exactly who makes up your base of donors and what they respond to means that your fundraising efforts will be more likely to reach and impact them.

These are the 3 pieces of information nonprofits use to tailor fundraising campaigns.

Here are a few pieces of information and their implications for tailoring your nonprofit’s fundraising campaigns:

  • Job title: A donor’s job title demonstrates how financially capable they are of giving and how much decision-making power they hold at work. It is effective to target donors in high positions of authority. Not only are these donors likely more capable of giving, but they may also be able to implement more CSR initiatives at work.
  • Employer name: Learning donors’ employers’ names provides insights into their connections to CSR opportunities. Tailor fundraising efforts towards people with access to CSR opportunities like matching gift programs.
  • Demographic information: Information like age delineates important insights for targeting your nonprofit’s fundraising campaigns. For example, if your donors’ primary demographic is older people, online campaigns may not be successful. In this instance, it may be better to use mailers instead.

Donor data can be an extremely versatile tool as you work to improve your fundraising strategy. Don’t be afraid to get as much use as you can out of each data point— there is no harm in deriving multiple insights from one piece of data.

Grow Revenue Over Time

After incorporating donor data analysis into your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, your organization should see growth in revenue.

Making the most of untapped fundraising opportunities like matching gift programs is one source of growth after a data append. These programs increase revenue by supplying your nonprofit with free money via your donors’ employers. After increasing awareness of matching gift programs, the number of donors taking advantage of these programs should increase as well.

Further, identifying your core audience and catering to their preferences will increase the amount of donations you receive. Reach these audiences in ways that will inspire them to engage with your organization.

Data Append Services: Our Top Picks

Taking on data appends by yourself can be overwhelming. Put your trust in a data append service — these teams of professionals can take the weight off your shoulders. Here are a few of our top picks for data append services.

NPOInfo

If you are a nonprofit in need of a quality data append service, look no further. NPOInfo has a team of highly skilled experts ready to take on a wide range of data append services. NPOInfo serves nonprofits, higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, and associations, giving it a leg up on services that lack nonprofit specialization.

These are 4 of NPOInfo's top services.

In addition to employer appends, NPOInfo offers a variety of services. Take a look at a few of the options:

  • Email appends: This service appends donor emails based on data provided by the nonprofit. Email information is a crucial piece of donor information because it provides a means of contact between donors and your organization. Email addresses also come in handy for online donations which make up a large percentage of total revenue for nonprofits.
  • Phone number appends: Phone number appends supply nonprofits with donor phone numbers. Phone numbers provide a line of direct communication between the donor and nonprofit.
  • Date of birth appends: This information refers to donors’ birthdays. Date of birth appends can clue nonprofits in on their donors’ ages, making it easier to classify them into groups. Any demographic information like age makes tailoring fundraising messages easier.
  • Address appends: This service appends the most up-to-date mailing addresses for donors. Many nonprofits unknowingly use old addresses for their donors, wasting resources on mailers that never reach the donor. With an updated address database, mailers reach more people more effectively.

If these services sound like something your nonprofit needs, NPOInfo might be for you. Reach out for a quote to get started.

Click to get a quote so you can upgrade your fundraising strategy with employer appends.

Accurate Append

Accurate Append is another option for a data append service. Specialized in businesses, Accurate Append works to append customer data. This service focuses on providing timely and accurate results in a cost-effective manner.

Accurate Append offers a wide range of data append services. In addition to employer appends, they offer email, phone, and demographic appends as well. If you have existing email data or get an email append from them, the service offers email verification.

Webbula

Webbula is a data append service that primarily serves email marketers, CRM directors, and advertisers. This company places an emphasis on appending email data and helping marketers maintain email hygiene. Webbula’s best fit for a client would be a business looking to elevate its email marketing.

Webbula’s services include email hygiene and verification, lead validation, and data enhancement. Data enhancement includes various data append services, including email and address appends. These services aim to help email marketers better target and reach customers.

Data Axle

Data Axle serves businesses in the sales and marketing space. They focus on appending data to help businesses improve their marketing efforts.

This data append service employs many different data append options to help businesses with their marketing strategy. Data Axle can provide different types of information about customers such as telephone appends, mailing address appends, business email appends, and more. With these services, businesses can tweak their marketing strategies based on insights about customers.

Wrapping Up

Employer appends are the key to discovering who your supporters really are. After learning valuable insights like donors’ employer’s name, job title, and matching gift information, it is easy to take advantage of fundraising opportunities. However, employer appends are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using donor data in fundraising. Donor data can quickly become an invaluable tool in your nonprofit fundraising strategy.

Interested in learning more about data and matching gifts? Check out these resources:

Click to get a quote from NPOInfo so you can maximize funding with employer appends.

/by

How Google Ad Grants Can Help Your Nonprofit’s Fundraising

, ,

Technology is more important than ever before, especially in the realm of nonprofit fundraising. With a majority of business conducted online, it is vital your nonprofit establish a strong digital presence to stay competitive in the fundraising space. However, this does not mean simply creating a website— your web presence must be well-known as a source for useful insights. That’s where Google Ad Grants come into play.

These grants are an integral tool in driving traffic to your organization’s landing pages and increasing donations. If you are unfamiliar with Google Ad Grants, no need to worry. This guide will walk you through everything there is to know by covering the following topics:

After reading this article, you will have a better understanding of how to make the most of fundraising opportunities with Google Ad Grants. Let’s get started!

Get a free consultation with our recommended Google Ad Grants managers.

What is the Google Ad Grant?

The Google Ad Grants program is a corporate giving initiative that provides eligible nonprofits with monthly grants to promote their causes via Google Ads.

Eligible nonprofit organizations can display advertisements, products, services, offerings, and other marketing content strategically at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) for relevant keywords. For example, when someone Googles “animal nonprofits near me,” an ad for your organization’s website could appear at the top of the results. This immediately draws eyes to your messaging and helps expand audience reach.

Seeing the value that Google Ads offer businesses, Google created the Google Ad Grants program to provide nonprofits with $10,000 in Google AdWords spending each month. This means that organizations can utilize the “publicity” of Google Ad placement at no financial cost of their own.

Features of the Google Ad Grant

The Google Ad Grant is especially useful for organizations that are well-established digitally with missions that are frequently searched online. 

Google Ad Grants can be incorporated into fundraising by placing your organization’s online giving page at the top of the SERPs for keywords closely related to your nonprofit. Creating a digital campaign through Google Ad Grants is one of the most effective methods for reaching your target audience without breaking the bank on a marketing budget.

A unique component of Google Ad Grants is that any eligible nonprofit can utilize the program. Unlike other grants, it is not awarded to a few lucky winners. This helps to take the pressure off of your organization, as the grant application process can be fairly competitive. If you’re interested in earning $329 per day in free AdWords spending, continue on as we dive deeper into how Google Ad Grants work.

How do Google Ad Grants work?

At first glance, Google Ad Grants can seem daunting. However, we are here to walk you through the information you need to know as you get started on your Google Grant journey – starting with Google Ad Grant eligibility.

Eligibility Requirements

The good news about Google Ad Grant eligibility is that there are only a few organizational sectors unable to apply. Those include:

  • Government entities
  • Hospital or healthcare organizations
  • Schools, academic institutions, or universities

If your nonprofit organization does not meet any of the criteria above, you’re in the clear! The remaining eligibility requirements for the Google Ad Grant program are fairly simple. In order to be considered eligible, nonprofits must:

This graphic highlights Google Ad Grant eligibility requirements.

  • Have a functional website that contains valuable content that is relevant to the nonprofit’s mission.
  • Hold current and valid charitable status, which in the United States means registering as a 501(c)(3) organization.
  • Adhere to Google Grant program policies, including registration with Google for Nonprofits and TechSoup.
  • Obtain a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), proving that your online domain is secure.

If your organization meets these parameters, you are ready to progress in the Google Ad Grant process. As your journey continues, there are a few other factors to pay attention to. When awarding grants, Google works to ensure your organization is well-equipped to use Adwords funding efficiently. Your organization should keep the following criteria in mind:

  • Ensuring your site does not already contain revenue-generating ads.
  • Having the ability to manage Google Ads campaigns, meaning you’re able to evaluate keywords for relevancy, accuracy, and timeliness on a regular basis.
  • Selecting keywords that have a maximum cost of $1 per click.

By determining eligibility you can begin the application process to acquire your nonprofit’s very own Google Ad Grant. Let’s see how to get started.

Application Process

When it comes to the Google Ad Grant application process, there are three key steps organizations must go through to acquire a grant. In this section, we will break each of them down.

This infographic lists the three steps to apply for the Google Ad Grant discussed in the text below.

Step 1: Sign up for a Google for Nonprofits account.

Before you can apply for the Google Ad Grant, you need a verified account with Google for Nonprofits. Along with giving you access to the Ad Grant application, Google for Nonprofits provides organizations with several opportunities to increase visibility and drive conversions.

An account with Google for Nonprofits gives your organization access to:

  • YouTube Nonprofit Program: This program allows nonprofits to utilize YouTube’s many unique features and spread the word about their organization through visual storytelling. Videos are worth incorporating into your digital marketing strategy as humans process visual content 60,000 times faster than written content. With a Google for Nonprofits account, you can experience the benefits of video content and so much more.
  • Google Earth and Maps: This service shares compelling data visualizations that highlight your organization’s impact. Additionally, the use of Google Maps helps community members locate your nonprofit’s programs and resources nearest to them.
  • Google Workspace: This program offers complimentary access to Google’s most useful apps, such as Docs, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Google Meet. These programs allow you to stay organized and efficient, keeping operations running as smoothly as possible.

Your organization can access these benefits and more by registering with Google for Nonprofits. Here is how to do so:

  • Visit the Google for Nonprofits registration website.
  • Agree to Google’s non-discrimination statements.
  • Fill out the subsequent forms, including contact and organization information.
  • Submit your request and await a response.

Filling out the request for a Google for Nonprofits account is a relatively quick process, but be prepared to wait a few weeks for your request to be accepted.

Step 2: Acquire verification from TechSoup or Percent.

Your nonprofit may need to wait a week or two after applying for a Google for Nonprofits account in order to be validated. Essentially, Google uses a third-party service to verify that your organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is eligible for the program before giving you access to a Google for Nonprofits account.

The validation process will be handled for you by either TechSoup, an international network for nonprofits, or Percent, Google’s nonprofit validation partner. The process typically looks like this:

  • Kick off the validation process by requesting a Google for Nonprofits account.
  • Google sends your request to Percent or TechSoup, who may contact your organization for additional information or documents.
  • Within 2-14 business days, Google’s validation partner will verify that your nonprofit is legitimate and eligible.
  • You’ll receive an email confirming that your nonprofit has been verified. Now, you can activate your Google for Nonprofits account.

Once you have completed this process, the final step is submitting your application for the Google Ad Grant program. Let’s discuss how to do so.

Step 3: Apply for the Google Ads Grant.

It’s time to submit your application for the Google Ads Grant. By following the process outlined below, you’ll open the door to a whole new world of free AdWords spending:

This graphic highlights the Google Ad Grant application steps.

  1. Create a Google AdWords account. AdWords will prompt you to select your billing country and timezone. Once submitted, it will take you to your new account.
  2. Submit your pre-qualification survey and Ad Grant training. The training video will cover policy requirements, key guidelines, and best practices for managing your account along with a short quiz.
  3. Submit the required materials for pre-qualification review. Google will respond with a status on your pre-qualification submission.
  4. Once approved for pre-qualification, set up your first Google Ads campaign.
  5. Submit your AdWords account for final review using the same steps of approval as the pre-qualification process.
  6. Once approved, the nonprofit can begin running Google Ad campaigns!

The process of acquiring a Google Ad Grant is far simpler than it seems. As hassle-free, as it may be, it is important your organization stays on top of proper grant management. Otherwise, your time with Google Ad Grants may be short-lived.

Google Ad Grant Management

To maintain good standing with the Google Ad Grant program, there are a few key policies to follow. These include:

  • Account activity: Log into your account at least once a month and update the information every 90 days. This will show Google you’re still utilizing the program.
  • Ad relevance and geotargeting: It is important to run ads that have specific relevance to your audience. A great way to do this is through geotargeting, a process that ensures users are receiving ads relevant to them geographically.
  • Monthly keyword evaluation: Google requires a monthly Keyword Performance Report to ensure that you are optimizing your keywords for best results. This will put you in the best position to remain profitable. Avoid overly generic keywords and those with a quality score above 1 or 2, which Google will outline for you.
  • A minimum of 5% click-through rate (CTR): Google mandates a CTR of 5% after 90 days, in order to improve user experience and ad relevance. Accounts that fail to meet this requirement will be notified. If the account is not reached after two consecutive months, it will be suspended.
  • Account structure: When it comes to account structure, 2 is the magic number! Google AdWords campaigns must have at least 2 ads per ad group, with at least 2 ad groups per campaign. Additionally, campaigns must have at least 2 sitelink extensions.

Your organization can maintain the status of a Google Ad Grant recipient by practicing proper account upkeep. However, the pressure does not need to ride solely on your shoulders. With the help of an Ad Grant Agency, certified professionals can assist you with all of your Google Ad Grant needs

Running a Google Ad Grant Campaign: 4 Steps

Once your Google Ad Grant application is approved, you can begin researching keywords and planning your first campaign. Here’s a general overview of what goes into hosting a Google Ad Grant campaign: 

1. Establish your goal.

Before choosing keywords or writing ad copy, consider what website pages you most want to drive traffic to. You can create an ad for any page on your website as long as it has valuable content, meaning your goal is only limited by the strength of your website. 

We’ll dive more into how to launch a fundraiser with the Google Ad Grant later, but here are a few common goals that the grant can help you achieve: 

  • Earn donations
  • Attract volunteers 
  • Spread awareness of your cause
  • Promote services

To maximize traffic, create multiple keyword campaigns focused on the same goal. For example, you might create one donation-focused campaign that centers around keywords relating to giving and donating, whereas another might focus on benefits donors receive in exchange for giving, such as becoming a member, joining a community, and supporting a good cause. 

2. Choose your keywords. 

Your keywords impact which visitors see your ads, so don’t hesitate to spend a significant amount of time researching keywords or reaching out to a consultant for help. The exact keywords that will bring your campaign success depend on your audience, but there are a few general guidelines that benefit most campaigns:

  • Keyword relevance. Your keywords should relate to both your goals and your audience’s interests. Consider not just what you want supporters to do, but what they are likely to search for. For example, to promote an upcoming 5K fundraiser, you would choose keywords, like “fall marathons,” “charity 5K,” and “community fun run,” rather than focusing on the donation aspect of your event. 
  • Negative keyword. Use Google Ad Grants parameters to determine what types of queries will show your keyword. In particular, consider if there are any topics that could be mistakenly associated with your keywords and result in useless searches. Use the negative keyword feature in Google Ad Grants to ensure your ads do not show up for queries that include a negative keyword.  For example, if you’re collecting clothing donations for a homeless shelter, you might want to make “buy” and “purchase” negative keywords to filter out queries related to online shopping. 
  • Keyword competitiveness. How many other organizations are likely trying to rank for your target keyword? Google awards ad space to organizations that successfully bid on the placement. While the allocated Google Ad Grant funds can go far, you’ll likely run out of them quickly if you target the same keywords as large organizations with dedicated marketing budgets.

Picking the right keywords is an ongoing process, especially as you launch campaigns with new goals. Stay updated on what keywords are driving traffic and use a keyword research tool like Google’s Keyword Planner.

3. Create your ad. 

Once your ad starts appearing for queries, make sure that it has a headline and description people will want to click on. Here’s a breakdown of the elements of a Google Ad:

The image is a screenshot of a Google Ad with the sponsored label, headline, and description highlighted.

At the top of each ad is a bold Sponsored tag, letting searchers know that this ad was paid for. This helps maintain transparency with searchers. Plus, if you ever need guidance on how to market your pages, you can look at other sponsored content to see what similar organizations are doing with their ads. 

Next, is the headline and description. Your headline will be the title of the page you’re promoting. Choose a headline that won’t get cut off by Google’s character limit. Try keeping it to 50-60 characters to give it plenty of room on the page without getting shortened. 

For your description, you’ll also need to keep character limits in mind (around 150-160 characters), and also consider what text would encourage someone to read your content. Write copy that reflects your content and relates to the user intent behind common search queries for your keyword. 

4. Analyze your results. 

Google Ads are far from a set-it-and-forget-it type of fundraiser. While successful ads can bring in regular traffic, you’ll need to keep an eye on your analytics to tweak campaigns, launch new campaigns, adjust bidding amounts, and pause or remove low-quality campaigns. 

You can monitor your conversions by setting goals in Google Analytics and linking your Analytics account to your Ads account. This will allow you to see the queries that led supporters to click on your website and the actions they took once they got there. 

If you need help managing your campaigns, consider reaching out to a Google Ad Grants consultant who can help you research keywords and maintain compliance with Google’s ad requirements.

Working with a Google Ad Grant Agency

Professionals at Google Ad Grant agencies canmake your Google Ad Grant experience run as smoothly as possible. As experts in their field, these agencies can assist with services like:

This graphic displays Google Ad Grant agency services.

  • Google Grant Application. Experts will walk you through every step of the application process to ensure your account is reviewed and accepted.
  • Google Grant Hygiene. When it comes to Google Ads, data is everything. With the help of professionals, you will not have to deal with duplicate or outdated data weighing down your processes.
  • Google Grant Reactivation. If suspended, agencies can help get your account up and running again, allowing you to avoid the headache of going back and forth with the Google Ad Grant team.
  • Keyword Research. Professionals help make sure your website content is effectively serving audience needs while inspiring them to take action.
  • Google Grant Management. Tracking conversions and campaign performance is an ongoing process. With effective results requiring 3-5 ongoing campaigns, having professionals there to track performance and refine strategies continuously will help ensure success.
  • Optimizing website content. To best serve your audience’s needs, you’ll need to refine your landing pages to account for increased traffic and drive conversions. Ad Grant agencies can help keep your website in the best shape via constant keyword research, landing page relaunches, and more.
  • Practicing account upkeep. Agencies can make sure your organization is in constant compliance with Google Grant guidelines. This will help avoid the headache of having to go through the account reactivation process.

From start to finish, Ad Grant agencies are a valuable resource to help your organization optimize its Google Ad Grant management.

We recommend working with Getting Attention! As leading experts in their field, they’ll handle every aspect of the process for your team, working to understand your mission and achieve your marketing goals. Consider reaching out for a consultation with them to discuss your Google Ad Grant management needs.

Get a consultation with our recommended agency.

Using the Google Ad Grant for Fundraising

Are Google Ad Grants worth it?

Not convinced yet? Here are a few key statistics that showcase the importance of a quality online presence when it comes to fundraising:

This graphic highlights important digital fundraising statistics.

  • 75% of young donors are turned off by out-of-date websites.
  • Donors are 34% more likely to give on mobile-responsive websites.
  • 51% of high-wealth donors (giving $200k+) prefer to give online.
  • When influencing donors, online resources are 20% more useful than direct mail.

To optimize fundraising potential, your organization must create a well-established online presence, and the Google Ad Grant can help immensely.

In addition to strengthening your online presence, there are several benefits of nonprofit marketing grants. These grants help to:

This graphic highlights the benefits of using a nonprofit marketing grant.

  • Carry out charitable initiatives. Online marketing and promotions, exciting fundraising events, and other initiatives can be taken to the next level with the right marketing grant.
  • Pay for your donor outreach. One of the primary components of nonprofit marketing is donor outreach efforts. From email newsletters to direct mail, these efforts can be resource-intensive. On the other hand, Google Ad Grants are free.
  • Help more people with your organization. With a well-developed marketing strategy, your organization will increase visibility and attract more supporters. The more people are aware of the issues your organization is fighting for, the more likely you’ll gain valuable support for your cause and be able to make a major impact.
  • Educate and spread awareness of your mission. A marketing grant helps to best educate and spread awareness of your mission. Effective marketing makes sure that people are aware of your nonprofit and all of its offerings.

These benefits represent the significant untapped potential your organization can unlock through nonprofit marketing grants.

How to Use Google Ad Grants to Promote Fundraising

Google Ad campaigns should drive users towards your nonprofit’s campaign pages to optimize fundraising potential. Draw inspiration for how to use Google Ad Grants to promote fundraising from the following examples:

We Care Animal Rescue

We Care Animal Rescue’s mission is to promote the general welfare of animals by fostering and caring for homeless cats and dogs. The organization works to find them their forever homes and overall educate the public on animal welfare.

We Care Animal Rescue began their Google Ad Grant journey with a few marketing goals in mind. They wanted to promote their new website, attract volunteers, and drive online donations. With the help of the Google Ad Grant, they saw a 350% increase in website activity and 125% increase in online applications. Needless to say, they experienced great impact.

Days For Girls

Days For Girls centers its work around increasing access to menstrual care and education for women. They do this through developing global partnerships, mobilizing volunteers, and innovating sustainable solutions that help shatter stigmas surrounding the topic of female care.

Their marketing goals included raising more money, getting more email subscribers, and increasing brand awareness. The Google Ad Grant enabled them to see a $212 increase in average donation value, as well as receive $5,000 in donations and 400+ conversions over a 60-day period.

DonorsChoose.org

DonorsChoose.org is the leading platform for giving to public schools. Their mission is to make helping a classroom in need easy for everyone. More largely, they’re working towards making quality education accessible nationwide, regardless of location. Teachers across America use the website to create projects requesting certain resources and donors are able to select the projects that inspire them.

The marketing goals of DonorsChoose.org were to connect more donors and teachers to the platform while keeping their budget lean. In using the Google Ad Grant, they were able to see 305,000 website visits, receive 4,900 donations, and attract 7,400 teacher registrations all in one year. With the help of Google Ad Grants, their organization underwent significant change.

Final Note on Google Ad Grants

Overall, utilizing Google Ad Grants will best position your organization in the eyes of the public. Google Ad Grants help to:

  • Increase online conversions such as event signups, donations, and volunteer registrations.
  • Broaden your reach to new donors.
  • Market multiple ad campaigns simultaneously.
  • Analyze and track performance to ensure your campaigns are improving.
  • Learn the best way to meet the needs of your digital supporters.

Boost your fundraising efforts with Google Ad Grants—and the assistance of a certified Ad Grant agency—today!

In the meantime, if you’re looking for further resources on Ad Grant programs, consider the articles below:

Get a consultation with our recommended Google Ad Grants manager.

/by

Matching Gifts: Reap the Benefits for Your Nonprofit

,

Corporate philanthropy is a great opportunity for nonprofits seeking additional sources of revenue. In particular, matching gift programs are one of the best forms of employee giving your nonprofit can leverage. It’s estimated that $2-3 billion is donated annually through these initiatives, making them valuable options for nonprofits of all sizes.

To educate you further on how matching gift programs can benefit your organization, we’ll cover the following topics:

Matching gifts are an opportunity for your nonprofit to boost your fundraising revenue significantly, which means your team will have more funds available for programs, events, and everything else you do to serve your beneficiaries. Let’s get started on the basics so you can begin tapping into this form of corporate giving!

What are matching gifts?

In a nutshell? A matching gift is a donation a company makes to match an employee’s initial donation to a nonprofit. So when an individual makes a gift of $50 to an organization, their employer will make an additional gift of $50, for a total of $100.

A matching gift is a donation a company makes to match an employee’s initial donation to a nonprofit.

Now, that’s assuming the employer offers a 1:1 match ratio (a dollar for dollar match). A match ratio can range anywhere from .5:1 to 4:1.

So, let’s say that $50 was matched at a 2:1 ratio instead. That means that initial $50 donation turns into $150 ($50 from the donor plus $100 from their employer)!

Now that our math lesson is over, let’s talk about how matching gifts actually work.

The overall process is pretty simple and tends to be the same across the board:

  1. An individual donates to a nonprofit.
  2. The individual checks their eligibility for matching gifts with their employer.
  3. The individual submits a request for a match to their employer.
  4. The employer reviews the request and verifies the donation with the nonprofit.
  5. The employer matches the gift.

The thing is, most companies have unique policies and guidelines when it comes to eligible nonprofits and their employees submitting matching gift requests.

These can include:

  • Minimum and maximum match amounts
  • Match ratios
  • Nonprofit eligibility
  • Employee eligibility

Not being able to figure out their employer’s guidelines can turn donors away from the process altogether, which brings us to our next point.

The Impact of Matching Gifts

Matching gifts seem like a pretty good deal, don’t they? Turning one donation into two? Well, as we’ve already indicated, not every donor knows how to go through the process of submitting a match request. Remember that number we mentioned earlier? Billions of dollars in matching gift funds go unclaimed every year.

Far too many organizations and donors overlook matching gift programs because there are too many company guidelines to keep track of, and nonprofits can’t easily track the companies their donors work for. Likewise, donors don’t always know whether their companies even offer matching gift programs.

So, it’s simple: matching gifts get overlooked.

But there are more reasons to pursue matching gifts than not.

For example:

Matching gifts have a huge impact on donations.

Did you know that 84% of donors say they’d be more likely to donate if a match was offered? That means if a donor is on the fence about giving to your nonprofit, notifying them that they might be eligible for a match through their company could be the extra push they need to make their donation.

But it doesn’t stop there.

In addition to the donors who would give if a match were applied, 1 in 3 donors say they’d give a larger amount if a match was available.

So not only would you get a donation in the first place, but the amount could be even bigger than it would have been otherwise!

We’ve talked a lot about company matching gift programs and how they can differ from each other. But a common theme is that many of these programs are pretty generous. To give you an idea of what your organization could be missing out on, here are some incredible matching gift programs:

The Coca-Cola Company matches donations made by full-time employees or retirees up to $10,000. As if that’s not enough, they offer a 2:1 match, which means the total maximum cap is $20,000!

Soros Fund Management matches donations made by full-time employees to most nonprofits at up to a 2:1 ratio, with a maximum cap of $100,000.

Merck & Co. matches donations made by active employees at a 1:1 ratio up to $30,000. Most nonprofits are eligible for these matching gifts.

This is just a taste of how generous a lot of these matching gift programs can be. Many companies’ maximum match amounts are in the thousands, and their minimum match amount can be as low as $25, if there’s even a minimum at all.

It should be pretty clear by now that there are a lot of benefits to tapping into matching gift programs. That’s why we’re going to dive deeper into those benefits next.

Who benefits from matching gifts?

As we get into the benefits of matching gift programs, we should also note that it’s not just nonprofits that can benefit from them.

In fact, matching gift programs benefit nonprofits, donors, and companies. Here’s how:

Benefits for NonprofitsThese are the benefits of matching gifts for nonprofits.

Let’s start with you. Matching gifts benefit many types of nonprofit organizations. While some companies are specific about what type of organization they’ll match donations to, a majority of 501(c)(3) organizations are usually eligible. And as a nonprofit, every donation dollar counts. Beyond just doubling donations, matching gifts offer nonprofits a way to build long-term relationships with companies and donors. The more support you have, the more you’ll be able to accomplish.

Benefits for DonorsThese are the benefits of matching gifts for donors.

Matching gifts benefit donors, too. When a donor gives to your organization and then successfully requests a match from their employer, they’re essentially doubling the impact of their gift. This gives donors a greater sense of pride knowing that their donation went twice as far.

Benefits for CompaniesThese are the benefits of matching gifts for companies.

There are many benefits for companies, too. By taking part in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs like matching gifts, companies maintain a positive public image, keeping their employees and consumers happy. In terms of tax benefits, companies can also deduct the amount they matched from the original donation.

In short, matching gift programs benefit everyone involved. Nonprofits get extra support, donors feel proud for making their contributions go even further, and companies look great for supporting nonprofits.

Top 3 Benefits of Matching Gift Programs

As a nonprofit specifically, there are even more benefits of matching gift programs you should be aware of. For that reason, we’ve compiled the top three perks you should keep in mind when deciding whether you want to pursue this type of corporate giving program: 

1. A second donation for the cost of soliciting one.

The most obvious benefit? Matching gifts are cost-effective—you get a second donation for the cost of soliciting one. Basically, this means you’ll get more revenue from one donation without asking donors to reach back into their own pockets. You’ll also save the time you would’ve spent soliciting a separate donation from another donor. It’s a win-win!

2. A deepened relationship with supporters.

Beyond just the monetary aspect, matching gifts allow your nonprofit to develop a deepened relationship with supporters. Matching gifts can actually help with donor retention, which means the more you mention matching gifts and keep your donors in the loop, the higher your retention rate will be. Donors will also feel more engaged with your organization when they know they’re making a bigger impact with their gifts. 

3. Increased fundraising revenue to put toward your programs.

When your organization actively pursues matching gifts, you can significantly increase your fundraising revenue. That means you’ll be able to put on more programs and events that benefit your constituents. 

Matching gifts can also aid in prospect research and finding major gift donors. Imagine if a major donor was eligible for matching gifts through their company—that would be a huge boost for your nonprofit!

Just thinking about these top benefits of matching gifts should get your team excited. There’s so much untapped potential out there that you can explore.

How to Raise Even More with Matching Gifts

You might be thinking that making matching gifts part of your fundraising strategy is easier said than done. 

But there are ways you can benefit from matching gifts without requiring too much extra effort from your team.

We’ve written about promoting matching gifts before, and one of the best ways you can leverage matching gift programs is to meet donors at the point where they’re most engaged: the donation process.

Once a supporter lands on your donation page, that means they’re serious about donating to your cause. Remember how donors are more likely to give if a match is applied? That means if you actively promote matching gifts during your donation process, your donor will be more likely to give and check out the matching gift opportunity.

So, what’s the best way to promote matching gifts during the donation process?

In a nutshell: make it easy for the donor to find out about their company’s matching gift program.

Investing in a matching gift search tool, for example, is a great way to do this. All you have to do is embed the tool into your donation page (or anywhere on your site, really!), and donors can type in the name of their employer. If that employer offers a matching gift program, all of the info about their program (match ratios, eligibility, etc.) will pull up right away.

Here’s what that kind of search tool looks like:

Here's a matching gift search tool that is embedded into a website.

The great thing about matching gift search tools like the above is that they can be customized to match your organization’s branding. And when the tool is embedded directly into your donation process, more donors will see the matching gift opportunity and search for their employer. 

Don’t have your donors’ employment information? Some matching gift tools even come with real-time employer appends, meaning the tool will find and add that data for you instantly.

If you want to take this process several steps further, you can invest in a matching gift automation platform. An automation platform takes the info donors provide as they give to your nonprofit (such as email domain or employer name) and runs it against a database of thousands of matching gift programs. If it turns out your donor works for a matching gift company, the platform will automatically send out a customizable email to that donor that explains how they can submit a match request.

Here’s what that email could look like:

This email is sent from an automated matching gifts platform.

Notice how the email identifies the donor’s employer and offers actionable steps to complete the matching gift process. A customizable experience will make the donor even more likely to be responsive.

When you drop matching gift solutions like these into the mix, you have a chance to skyrocket your matching gift revenue. If you really want to benefit from matching gifts, consider adding these to your team’s toolkit.

Sample Matching Gift Letters

If you’re looking for some guidance as you start to reach out about matching gifts, here are some basic matching gift letters you can use to tell donors about the opportunity. You probably already send out thank-you emails once a donor has contributed to your cause. Why not include these templates, too?

Sample Matching Gift Letter for Small Nonprofits:

Dear [donor’s name],

[nonprofit’s name] could not do what we do without you. Our mission needs all the support and help we can get, and your donation of [donation amount] has brought us further than we ever have been before. We are so close to our goal of [fundraising goal] and making [your mission] happen.

There’s a good chance your employer offers a matching gift program to help double your impact. The process is simple, and we would love to do most of the work for you. In a few simple steps, you can increase your donation and continue to change lives:

Step 1: Contact your employer’s HR head to see if they offer a matching gift program to increase your donation.

Step 2: Your HR head will point you in the right direction and let you know if you need to fill out any necessary forms and be aware of submission deadlines.

Step 3: Once you have submitted your matching gift request form or if you have any questions about the process, please contact us at our website [website URL] or phone number [phone number].

Additionally, if your company doesn’t offer a matching gift program or won’t match your donation, please let us know as well.

[nonprofit’s name] appreciates each donation and act of support you make.

Thank you,

[nonprofit’s name]

Sample Matching Gift Letter for Large Nonprofits:

Dear [donor’s name],

Here at [nonprofit name], we appreciate every gift we receive. Your donation of [donation amount] has made such an impact to [your mission] and has done [a recent accomplishment] for us.

We are so close to our donation goal of [fundraising goal] and we think you can help get us there. Your contribution has already done so much, but we believe your employer, [donor’s workplace], may have a matching gift program that will match your generous donation and double your impact!

Taking the steps to increase your gift is a simple process. Please see the instructions below:

Step 1: Contact your employer’s HR head to see if they offer a matching gift program to increase your donation.

Step 2: Your HR head will point you in the right direction and let you know if you need to fill out any necessary forms and be aware of submission deadlines.

Step 3: Once you have submitted your matching gift request form or if you have any questions about the process, please contact us at our website [website URL] or phone number [phone number].

Additionally, if your company doesn’t offer a matching gift program or won’t match your donation, please let us know as well.

We appreciate your support tremendously. You are the reason we are able to reach our goal of [fundraising goal] and achieve [your mission.]

Thank you,

[nonprofit’s name]

Use templates like these to guide you as you set out to find matching gift revenue for your organization. Then, if you ultimately decide to invest in matching gift solutions, you’ll already have a great foundation for communicating with your donors!

Additional matching gift resources…

Now you know how to incorporate matching gifts into your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, you’re ready to start raising more funds to power your purpose. Keep in mind that the largest obstacle to a successful matching gift program is awareness—after all, an estimated $4-7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed per year. Be sure to properly educate your supporters about this opportunity!

If you’d like to learn more about matching gifts, check out the following resources:

Find more matching gift revenue with a matching gift database!

/by

How to Promote Matching Gifts (and Other Best Practices!)

,

As a nonprofit organization, everything comes down to your fundraising efforts—whether you’ll be able to meet your program goals, put on a large event, pay for overhead costs, and most importantly, serve your mission.

Sometimes it can be hard to admit this, but fundraising revenue alone isn’t always enough. So what if you could double some of these existing dollars without asking donors to contribute more than they already have?

The answer is simple: matching gifts.

In this article, we’ll be talking specifically about corporate matching gifts, which allow donors to maximize their donations by reaching out to their employers for a company match. If you’re looking for ways to tap into this form of corporate philanthropy, you’re in the right place!

Let’s begin with the basics of matching gift programs, and then we’ll show you how to promote matching gifts to your donor base. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.

Get a demo of our recommended matching gift software to streamline matching gift promotion.

1. Matching Gift Basics

The concept of matching gifts is pretty simple: donors give to an organization, submit a match request to their employer, and the employer sends the organization a matching donation.

It seems like everyone should be doing this, right? But there’s a problem: many donors don’t realize their company offers a matching gift program, and even if they do, they aren’t sure how to submit a match request.

Clearing up the haziness surrounding corporate matching gift programs is the first step you need to take as a nonprofit so you and your donors can fully take advantage of them. That starts with understanding the rules of these programs.

Rules for Corporate Matching Gifts

In general, corporate matching gift programs have thresholds that need to be met before the company will issue a matching donation. It’s important to know what these thresholds are so you can make the matching gift process run a lot smoother.

Consider these rules so you can understand how to promote matching gifts.

Here are the basic thresholds you should be aware of:

  • Minimum and maximum match amounts. Typically, companies have a minimum and maximum donation amount they’ll match. The minimum amount is usually around $25, while the maximum can be in the thousands.
  • Match ratio. Most companies match dollar for dollar (a 1:1 ratio), while some companies match at an even higher ratio. In general, ratios can range from .5:1 all the way to 4:1.
  • Employee eligibility. Another guideline to be aware of is whether a donor’s employment status is eligible for a company match. Companies typically specify whether full-time employees, part-time employees, or retirees are eligible. In some cases, this can even expand to spouses or domestic partners of those employees.
  • Nonprofit eligibility. This is a big one. Is your nonprofit eligible to receive a matching donation from the donor’s company? Most companies have a set list of organization types that they’ll donate to, which can include educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, health and human services, and others. The most common restriction is around religious organizations, but again, this can vary by employer.

Understanding these rules for corporate matching gift programs will ensure that your nonprofit makes the most of eligible donations. But there’s more that goes into the matching gift process than meeting the initial guidelines. Your organization plays a key role in the next step: verification.

Verifying Corporate Matching Gifts

One of the most common ways nonprofits accidentally miss out on getting a matching donation from a company is by not verifying the gift. It might go without saying, but actually confirming with the matching gift company that your organization received a donation is pretty important.

Many companies use a third-party vendor to manage their matching gift process and allow nonprofits to verify donations. If your organization will be dealing with these vendors, you’ll want your team to be up-to-speed on how to use them. Whether it’s logging into an online portal or mailing in a letter, do not forget to verify the donation.

Once the donation has been verified, the company will submit their match!

2. Promoting Matching Gifts

Making the most of matching gift programs means understanding how they work. But you won’t get very far past that stage if your organization doesn’t actively promote this giving opportunity to your supporters.

There are several effective ways your team can get matching gifts on your donors’ minds. Check them out below:

If you want to know how to promote matching gifts, consider placing info about matching gifts on your donation page.On the Donation Page

If you think that supporters are most engaged with your organization during the donation process…you’re correct! Those who land on your donation page are seriously considering donating to your nonprofit. That much is certain.

But what if we told you that 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered? That would mean if they saw an opportunity about matching gifts on your donation page, it could be the extra push they need to submit their donation.

Just a simple mention of matching gifts or using a matching gift search tool (more on that below!) will notify donors that their gift can go twice as far and encourage them to begin the process of requesting a match.

Another way to promote matching gifts is through your confirmation page.On the Confirmation Page

Congratulations—your supporter made a donation to your organization! Now what?

The first thing they’re likely to see after pressing Submit is a confirmation page that acknowledges their donation. For many donors, once they’ve given the gift, the process is pretty much over for them. Lucky for you, they’re still close to the height of their engagement.

That’s why promoting matching gift opportunities on your confirmation page is an excellent way to go. Donors already feel good about their gift. Why not make them feel even better by promoting an opportunity to stretch their contribution even further?

Learn how to promote matching gifts by using a dedicated matching gifts page.On a Dedicated Matching Gift Page

Even if supporters are just checking out your organization for the first time and browsing around your website, there are other ways you can promote matching gifts—even if they’re not actively looking to donate.

A dedicated matching gift page, or even a “Ways to Give” page, should include detailed information about matching gift programs and their impact on your nonprofit. Featuring this information in a prominent place on your website will both educate supporters about matching gifts and encourage them to donate in the first place.

Social media is another great place to promote matching gifts.On Social Media

If your organization is active on social media, consider using your platform to share information about matching gifts. Even better, you can schedule posts throughout the year so you don’t have to worry about forgetting.

Link your followers back to your website for more information, use visuals when you can, and keep your messages short and sweet.

You can use Google Ads to promote matching gifts to donors.On Google Search

Paid advertising can increase visibility for matching gifts, and with the Google Ad Grants program, you can tap into paid advertising for free! Eligible nonprofits receive up to $10,000 each month to spend on paid Google Ads.

As explained in Getting Attention’s Google Ad Grants guide, “Organizations can use their grant money to bid on different keywords and promote specific pages on their website through text-based ads. Most often, these pages include donation pages, service pages, and educational content that align with user intent for the search term.”

That makes Google Ads the perfect opportunity to promote your matching gift page on Google Search, especially considering that Google has more than 92% of the search engine market share!

Here's an example of ASPCA promoting matching gifts on Google.

We recommend working with a Google Ads specialist who knows the ins and outs of the program. They can find the keywords that your supporters are searching and create ads that target those terms.

Work with an expert to promote matching gifts on Google.

If you want to know how to promote matching gifts, use your communications.In Your Communications

Beyond promoting matching gifts on your website or social media platforms, your email list is a huge opportunity to get the word out about doubling donations.

There are a few different ways you can incorporate matching gift letters as part of your email outreach and promotion strategy:

  • Thank-you emails. Once a donor has submitted their gift, they’re likely going to receive a confirmation email from your nonprofit thanking them for their donation. This is the perfect spot to also mention that their donation can go twice as far with a matching gift.
  • Newsletters. Does your team send out newsletters on a regular basis? Why not include matching gift information in a dedicated section of the email? Or, you can even send out one or two dedicated matching gift newsletters each year.
  • Year-end emails. A majority of charitable giving takes place during the holiday season. Send out holiday messages as part of your year-end campaign that highlight matching gifts to potential donors. Many companies also allow donors to request a match through the end of the year in which they gave, so be sure to encourage existing donors to check whether their earlier gifts are eligible.

Include links in any of these emails that direct donors back to your website for more information. This is why it’s a good idea to have a dedicated matching gift page on your site.

If you’re looking to take your email outreach a step further, consider using specific links within your messages that redirect donors to different pages of your website. For example:

  • If a donor has submitted a match request, encourage them to click a link in your email that will redirect them to a thank-you page on your website.
  • If a donor determines that their donation is not eligible for a matching gift, offer a link they can click that will show them alternate ways to show their support.
  • If a donor wants to unsubscribe from emails, redirect them to the corresponding page on your website.

Not only does this improve the donor journey, but it also gives your team a way to keep track of which donors have submitted matching gift requests, which donors are not eligible, and which donors want to unsubscribe.

Lastly, don’t forget to incorporate direct mail! Include postcards or inserts that contain info about matching gifts with an easy link or QR code to send donors to your matching gifts page. These inserts can go into any of your printed communications to help spread the word about the opportunity.

Sample Matching Gift Letters

If you’re looking for specific examples of the matching gift communications we’ve talked about, you’re in luck! Here are some sample matching gift letters your team can send out to promote matching gift opportunities:

Sample 1: The simple nonprofit matching gift letter.

Dear [donor’s name],

Thank you so much for your generous donation of [donation amount] to our nonprofit. Your contribution has already made such an impact to [your mission] by [example of physical impact]. We cannot thank you enough.

We think you might be able to double your impact! Your employer, [donor’s workplace], may offer a matching gift program that can increase your gift! Matching gift programs are a form of corporate philanthropy where businesses match the donations their employees make to charitable organizations.

Taking the steps to get your gifts matched is a simple process and we are happy to walk you through the process:

Step 1: Contact your employer’s HR head to see if they offer a matching gift program to increase your donation.

Step 2: Your HR head will point you in the right direction and let you know if you need to fill out any necessary forms and be aware of submission deadlines.

Step 3: Once you have submitted your matching gift request form or if you have any questions about the process, please contact us at [website URL] or [phone number].

Additionally, if your company doesn’t offer a matching gift program or won’t match your donation, please let us know as well.

We appreciate your support tremendously. You are the reason we are able to [recent accomplishment].

Thank you,

[nonprofit’s name]

This letter is personalized to the donor and includes actionable next steps the donor can take to determine their matching gift eligibility. There’s also an educational element to this letter, which explains what matching gifts are and how they tie into corporate philanthropy.

Sample 2: A higher education institution’s matching gift letter.

Dear [donor’s name],

The students of [school’s name] are eternally grateful for your generous support. They cannot thank you enough for bringing [recent school renovation or improvement, like an improved library, new building, or renovated dorms] to life and providing a space for them to learn and grow.

Last year we raised [last year’s total matching gift revenue] all from matching gifts, or donations made by businesses to match those made by their employees. With very little extra effort, many of our donors were able to double their original contributions because their employers had matching gift programs in place.

In a few steps, you can check to see if your company will match your gift. Here’s what you can do:

Step 1: Contact your employer’s HR head to see if they offer a matching gift program to increase your donation.

Step 2: Your HR head will point you in the right direction and let you know if you need to fill out any necessary forms and be aware of submission deadlines.

Step 3: Once you have submitted your matching gift request form or if you have any questions about the process, please contact us at our website [website URL] or phone number [phone number].

Additionally, if your company doesn’t offer a matching gift program or won’t match your donation, please let us know as well.

Your impact has already created a difference in the quality of life and the academic accomplishments our community has made recently. Imagine what can happen when your gifts are matched.

Thank you,

[school’s name]

This letter outlines the impact matching gifts have had on the institution and provides specific instructions the recipient can follow to submit a matching gift request. This letter in particular also highlights tangible results of the financial support already received (a new building, updated library, etc.).

View more matching gift letters!

Using a Matching Gift Database

While promoting matching gifts through all of the above channels can be effective, you can kick it up a notch or two by using a matching gift database.

A matching gift database is the key to finding tons of information on matching gift programs all over the world. They list thousands of companies, along with those companies’ matching gift guidelines, forms, and instructions. 

So how do you get access to a matching gift database?

This kind of info can be accessed in a couple of ways:

Matching Gift Search Tool

Invest in a matching gift solution that offers a matching gift search tool to embed anywhere on your website. That means on your donation page, your confirmation page, and your “Ways to Give” or dedicated matching gift pages.

Here’s an example of a matching gift search tool in action:

One matching gift best practice is incorporating a search tool as part of your website.

This search tool auto-completes the company name that’s being typed in, making it easy for the donor to select the name of their company and load the results.

Matching Gift Automation

Another awesome tool that can come in handy for larger organizations is a matching gifts automation platform. Once donors fill out the donation form on your website and submit their gift, this platform scans their info for any indication of matching gift eligibility (a work email address, employer details, etc.) and then triggers out customizable emails on your behalf.

Here’s what such an email would look like for someone who was determined to be match eligible:

Another matching gift best practice is to invest in a matching gifts automation platform.

This email explains to the donor that their donation is eligible for a matching gift from their employer. There are buttons the donor can then click to indicate their matching gift status.

Using a matching gifts automation platform saves your team time because each match-eligible donation will automatically go through the platform’s email stream and trigger the appropriate message. This leaves your organization more time to focus on high-value matching gift opportunities.

Get Double the Donation's ultimate guide to marketing matching gifts

3. Other Matching Gift Best Practices

If you’re looking for more matching gift best practices beyond promotion, we’re going to conclude with a few suggestions that can help your team bring in more revenue.

Demonstrate the Impact of Matching Gifts

Donors love knowing their donations made an impact. And not just that—they want to know what their specific gift went toward.

In the case of matching gifts, share how much money has been raised specifically from corporate matches. Explain how this doubled (or even tripled) your fundraising revenue and met your goals.

Then, go even further and explain what reaching your fundraising goals accomplished. For example, did the extra revenue help your organization feed 1,000 more people? Be specific!

You can share this in an annual report, on social media, on your website, and through other communication channels.

Reach Out to Companies

We’ve explored how to promote matching gift opportunities to donors, but companies are the ones that control corporate giving programs. Reach out to companies with similar values to your organization to forge partnerships.

If you find businesses you’d like to work with that don’t offer corporate giving opportunities, explain the following benefits they could receive from engaging in philanthropic initiatives:

  • Increased employee engagement. Employees want to get more out of their roles than the work itself. They want to feel that they are positively impacting their communities. Corporate giving programs like matching gifts allow companies to work together with their employees to support worthy causes, which can increase workplace engagement and satisfaction.
  • Improved reputation. When companies give back to their communities, consumers notice. Corporate philanthropy proves that companies are willing to use their profits for the good of society. As a result, they’ll receive a more positive reputation and may attract more socially-conscious consumers.
  • Better workplace culture. Believe it or not, employees working together through corporate giving initiatives outside the workplace can forge stronger, more positive relationships in the workplace. Employees get to know each other better and build valuable teamwork skills through team fundraisers and volunteer opportunities.
  • Enhanced recruitment. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming an increasingly important factor in the job search. Prospective employees want to work for companies that contribute to the greater good. Companies that prioritize corporate giving and promote it stand out during recruitment.
  • Innovative operations. When companies focus on CSR, they often discover new and better ways to run their businesses. For example, a company may find that switching to a more efficient energy source for their offices not only positively impacts the environment but also saves the business money.

Companies without formal corporate giving programs may be surprised at how advantageous it can be for them to start their own. Encourage them to talk to their employees about which causes they care about so that their initiatives match their staff’s priorities.

Follow Up on Incomplete Matches

As we’ve mentioned before, keeping track of the status of donors and their matching gifts can help your team stay organized and maximize your revenue from this channel.

This means you should be following up on incomplete match requests—though this can be challenging to do manually.

Using an automation platform, you’ll be able to follow up with donors automatically, but not bombard them to the point where they get annoyed or disinterested.

Automation platforms incorporate sending limits, which helps your team limit the number of emails sent to donors within a given period of time. All you have to do is configure it in your settings. This applies to recurring donors, one-time donors, and even major gift donors. And once a donor indicates that they’ve submitted a matching gift request, they won’t be contacted again about that particular donation.

Following up gets much easier when you have an automated system in place. Don’t let your donors forget to submit a matching gift request if they’re eligible, but keep your communication to a reasonable level. 

Acknowledge Matching Gifts

Last, but certainly not least, thanking your donors at each stage of the process is essential. Of course, you’ll thank donors after they’ve made their initial donation, but you’ll also want to thank them:

  • After they’ve submitted a matching gift request.
  • After the company match has been received by your organization.

Keeping your donors in the loop shows that you value their support and want them to know their efforts made a difference. You should also keep in mind that the matching gift company might have a set preference for acknowledgement, as well. Most companies don’t need to be acknowledged and will say so—but if a company does want an acknowledgment, look for instructions from their outreach.

Incorporating these matching gift best practices and promotional strategies can help your organization raise the funds you need. Now that you have a basis to go off of, it’s time to get back to work!

Additional Matching Gift Resources

We hope these tips have given you some great ideas for your organization! If you’re looking for even more information about matching gifts, check out these additional resources:

Get a demo of matching gift software to assist with your matching gift promotion efforts.

/by