Matching Gifts

Matching gifts can create incredible impact. If your employer matches the donations you make, your donation to the chapter could double in size!

What are matching gifts?
A matching gift program is a kind of corporate philanthropy in which a company’s charitable contribution “matches” donations made by its employees. An employee donates to a 501c3 non-profit organization, then submits a matching gift request with he employer. Upon approval, the matching contribution is distributed from the company to the nonprofit.

Why do companies match donations?
Companies match donations their employees make to nonprofits because it’s an easy, structured way for them to support good work in their communities. Corporate Social Responsibility is an important factor in how the public perceives brands and companies these days. Corporate matching gifts provide an efficient and direct way for companies to build relationships with charities.

Why are we sharing this information?
Nonprofits often struggle with receiving these gifts because so few donors know about their employer’s corporate philanthropy programs. At the same time, most nonprofits don’t know if a donor’s employer offers matching gifts.

Matching Gift Ratio
Every company has a different idea of what a ‘match’ is for their employees. The majority of companies match at a 1:1 ratio, but others have drastically different standards. Some companies will give $.50 for every dollar an employee donates, but others will give as much as $4 for every $1 that an employee donates.

Minimum and Maximum Amounts
Companies apply minimums and maximums to their corporate philanthropy programs. The most common minimum is $25, although it can range from $1 to $100. The maximum can range from $1,000 to $15,000, and sometimes further in either direction. The minimum and maximum matching amounts vary by company, employee, and nonprofit type. It’s important for donors to check the matching gift policies offered by their employers.

Process
We recommend donors follow the following basic process

• An individual donates to a nonprofit and checks their eligibility for a matching gift from their employer.
• The donor submits a matching gift request to their employer, either online (e.g. via Benevity, YourCause) or by mail.
• The employer reviews and verifies the request, and confirms the eligibility of the donor, the donation, and the nonprofit.
• The employer sends a matching donation to the nonprofit, according to their matching gift ratio and threshold criteria.

Does your employer match donations?
There are over 20,000 companies which match donations to qualifying 501c3 non-profit organizations. Below is a list of over 1,300. Check to see if your employer is listed below for a quick search. If your employer is not on this list and it matches donations, contact us and we’ll add it to the list.