Have You Met Your Match?

With thousands of corporations out there all with ever-evolving corporate-giving programs, it can be a challenge to keep up with individual company policies. More importantly, gathering and communicating that information in a cost-effective manner is essential.

Many organizations begin by explaining the general concept of matching gifts and volunteer grants, and then ask donors and volunteers to check with HR. This isn't a bad place to start, but if organizations really want to tap in to these sources of fundraising, they need to take a more proactive approach. Nonprofits should consider doing some or all of the following:

• Reaching out to local employers to request information on their corporate employee-giving programs.
• Promoting corporate giving using social media, newsletter articles, e-mails, dedicated Web pages, and in-person at fundraising or volunteer events.
• Ensuring staff is familiar with the top employers that offer matching-gift and volunteer-grant funding.
• Subscribing to a service that enables donors and volunteers to immediately assess their eligibility and provides access to detailed corporate-giving information about their employers.
• Mailing the appropriate forms directly to donors and volunteers.

Get started today by promoting corporate matching gifts and volunteer grants to past donors and volunteers. Most companies allow employees to submit grant requests up to three months to 12 months after making a donation or volunteering, so start taking advantage of the untapped funds.

Donors and volunteers want to help! If organizations raise awareness and make it easy for them, they'll see an increase in employee-giving grants.

Adam Weinger is found of Double The Donation. Reach him at adam@doublethedonation.com or 407.376.9800