Leaving Cash Behind? 5 Indicators You’re Lacking Matching Presents

When you’re a nonprofit, you’re doubtless conscious of how important fundraising is to sustaining and rising your mission. Whereas particular person donations are important, company matching presents can dramatically enhance the entire quantity you elevate with minimal further effort. Nonetheless, many nonprofits unknowingly depart cash behind by failing to completely leverage these matching reward alternatives.

The truth is, analysis exhibits that as much as 90% of eligible matching presents go unclaimed, representing a major quantity of potential funding that would increase your nonprofit’s income. The consequence? Greater than $4 to $7 billion in matching presents are being left on the desk every year.

So, how can you make sure that you’re not lacking matching presents? On this put up, we’ll discover the 5 key indicators that you simply’re leaving presents unmatched, why that issues, and how one can repair the issue. These indicators embody:

1. Not actively selling matching presents.
2. Not integrating matching presents into your donation stream.
3. Not amassing donor employment info.
4. Not following up with recurring or payroll givers.
5. Not monitoring matching presents as they progress.

All in all, matching presents are one of many best and handiest methods to spice up nonprofit donations. Nonetheless, many organizations constantly fail to profit from this chance.

Whether or not it’s a scarcity of promotion, inadequate follow-up, or not having the precise instruments in place, you may be leaving cash on the desk when you’re not capturing matching presents successfully. However this information will enable you to seize each potential donation to extend your nonprofit’s success! Let’s start with the primary signal your group is lacking the mark on matching presents.

One of many first and most blatant indicators you’re lacking matching presents is a scarcity of promotion. When you’re not frequently selling matching reward alternatives, a lot of your donors could not even remember that they will double (or triple) their contributions by way of their employer’s matching reward applications.

Why This Issues:

Lively promotion is essential to making sure your donors are conscious of matching reward alternatives and perceive how easy it’s for them to benefit from them. With out making matching presents a key a part of your messaging, donors could overlook the chance, and the funds will go unclaimed.

Many donors merely don’t take into consideration matching presents until they’re actively reminded.

The way to Repair It:

• Incorporate matching reward info in your web site: Your web site (together with a devoted matching reward web page) ought to prominently characteristic matching reward particulars, with easy accessibility to instruments that enable donors to seek for their firm’s program. Make sure you present hyperlinks to the matching reward submission portal instantly out of your web site!
• Promote through e mail and social media: Ship focused campaigns to your donors at common intervals, significantly earlier than key fundraising intervals corresponding to Giving Tuesday, end-of-year appeals, or your nonprofit’s anniversary. Use partaking visuals and compelling messages to focus on the benefit and impression of matching presents.
• Spotlight matching presents in thank-you messages: When thanking donors for his or her contributions, at all times embody a reminder about the potential of matching presents. Be particular about how they will apply for the match, and even make this info distinguished in your e mail signatures.
• Create partaking content material round matching presents: Develop weblog posts, movies, or infographics that designate how matching presents work and why they matter. This content material might be shared on social media or included in your donor-facing e-newsletter.

Fast Tip: Do you know that some firms match presents as much as 3 occasions the unique donation quantity? That would imply an enormous enhance in income to your nonprofit when you’re selling it successfully!

Signal #2: You haven’t built-in matching presents into your donation stream.

Even when you’re selling matching presents in emails and social media, you may be lacking out if matching presents aren’t built-in into the donation course of itself. If matching reward choices aren’t featured on the level of donation, you may be shedding alternatives proper from the beginning.

Why This Issues:

Integrating matching presents into your donation stream ensures that donors can benefit from them seamlessly whereas making their donation. If matching presents are an afterthought or aren’t included on the level of donation, many donors could neglect to assert their match or could also be uncertain about how to take action.

The way to Repair It:

• Add an identical reward immediate throughout the donation course of: Embody a subject asking if the donor’s employer matches presents. Make it simple for them to enter this info proper once they donate, which is able to stop them from having to return and submit the request later.
• Present an identical reward search instrument: Combine a instrument that helps donors seek for their firm’s matching reward coverage. An identical reward search instrument, corresponding to Double the Donation, makes this course of a lot simpler and will increase the chance of donors following by way of with their match request. For the best donor expertise, search for an answer that provides matching reward auto-submission, too!
• Supply clear directions: As soon as donors point out that they’re eligible for a match, present them with detailed directions on how one can submit the matching reward request. This could possibly be a hyperlink to their employer’s portal or a easy PDF information explaining the method.

Most frequently, donors are on the top of their engagement together with your trigger whereas actively donating to the group. That makes it the right time to include matching reward alternatives seamlessly into the giving course of. By presenting matching presents as an extension of the donation expertise itself, you not solely simplify the donor expertise but in addition enhance conversion charges.

As a substitute of treating matching presents as an afterthought or a separate step, make it a pure a part of the donation stream. This minimizes friction and maximizes the prospect that donors will comply with by way of with their employer’s matching reward request, leading to extra funds to your trigger with little further effort.

Signal #3: You lack donor employment info.

When you don’t gather donor employment info, you could miss the chance to match their reward with their employer’s contribution. Many matching reward applications require nonprofits to determine which workers are eligible for matching presents. With out this info, it turns into inconceivable to trace or declare matching funds.

Why This Issues:

With out understanding the place your donors work, you gained’t be capable of declare matching funds from their employer. Amassing this info is essential as a result of it lets you determine potential matching alternatives and comply with up with donors or employers instantly.

The way to Repair It:

• Gather employment information on donation kinds: Add a prominently positioned subject in your donation kind the place donors can voluntarily share their employer’s identify. Be sure that it’s non-compulsory, however encourage donors to fill it out, as it’ll mean you can seize extra matching presents and broader office giving alternatives.
• Incorporate employment information into follow-up communications: When thanking donors, embody a mild reminder to share their employment info so you may observe and comply with up on matching presents. Think about providing a small reward, corresponding to a raffle entry or recognition in your donor e-newsletter, for individuals who present this information level.
• Use an employer append service to find employment info: When you’re unable to gather employment particulars instantly from donors, take into account utilizing employer appends. These devoted providers match your donor database with publicly accessible employment info, permitting you to determine the place your donors work and whether or not their firm affords an identical reward program. This technique helps make sure you’re capturing matching reward alternatives even when donors don’t volunteer their employment info upfront.

Did You Know? Greater than 65% of Fortune 500 firms provide matching reward applications. When you’re not asking for employment info, you’re lacking out on potential income from these enterprise-level companies!

Signal #4: You’re not following up with recurring or payroll givers.

Whereas it’s simple to neglect about matching presents as soon as a donor has arrange a recurring donation or payroll reward, these ongoing donors might be prime candidates for donation-matching alternatives. Nonetheless, when you don’t comply with up with them, they might by no means apply for the match.

Why This Issues:

Recurring givers and payroll donors are sometimes forgotten with regards to matching presents, but they’re among the most loyal supporters you could have. These donors could assume that their reward can’t be matched or could neglect to use for matching funds after they’ve donated.

The way to Repair It:

• Arrange a recurring matching reward follow-up system: After a donor indicators up for a recurring reward (whether or not by way of their payroll system or in any other case), make sure you ship periodic reminders about matching reward alternatives. For one of the best outcomes, comply with up with easy directions and provide them assist if they’ve any questions.
• Interact payroll donors at key factors: For payroll givers, take into account sending reminders throughout payroll intervals or round key dates, such because the anniversary of their preliminary donation or the tip of the calendar yr, to encourage them to use for matching presents.
• Make matching presents a part of your donor journey: Be certain that matching reward info is included not solely throughout the preliminary donation course of but in addition woven all through the donor journey. Out of your new donor welcome collection to ongoing engagement for recurring and payroll givers, you’ll wish to persistently remind them in regards to the potential to maximise their contributions by way of matching presents.

Following up with recurring or payroll givers is essential. In any case, it ensures that matching reward alternatives don’t go unnoticed. Since these donors are already invested in your trigger, they’re extra prone to benefit from matching presents if they’re reminded frequently.

Fast Tip: For a take a look at main firms that match payroll donations, take a look at our compilation record right here.

Signal #5: You don’t observe matching presents as they progress.

One of the vital points nonprofits face with matching presents is the dearth of monitoring all through the method. When you’re not monitoring matching presents from the second they’re submitted to once they’re in the end accomplished, you danger lacking matching funds or failing to comply with up in a well timed method.

Why This Issues:

Monitoring matching presents lets you comply with up with donors and their employers, guaranteeing that matches are accomplished efficiently. With out correct monitoring, there’s no means to make sure that your nonprofit receives the total quantity of donations you’re eligible for.

The way to Repair It:

• Use matching reward software program: Instruments like Double the Donation mean you can observe matching presents from begin to end. These techniques enable you to keep organized and comply with up with donors and employers when essential.
• Monitor progress frequently: Create a system for reviewing the standing of matching reward requests regularly. This may be achieved manually or by way of an automatic platform to make sure no matches are left unprocessed.
• Arrange follow-up reminders: Develop a system that routinely reminds you to comply with up with donors or firms if an identical reward continues to be pending. It will guarantee no matching alternatives fall by way of the cracks.

Correct monitoring of matching presents is crucial for guaranteeing your nonprofit receives each greenback it’s entitled to. Furthermore, organising automated monitoring not solely ensures no matching reward goes unclaimed but in addition strengthens your relationship with donors by displaying them that you simply care about maximizing the impression of their contributions. Speak about a win-win!

Wrapping Up & Further Sources

Matching presents provide nonprofits an enormous alternative to extend their income with out a lot further effort. Nonetheless, many organizations are lacking out on these funds as a result of they aren’t selling, monitoring, or following up on matching reward alternatives successfully. By addressing these 5 indicators you’re lacking matching presents, you may considerably enhance your fundraising potential and maximize the impression of every donation.

Begin by reviewing your present processes and implementing the methods outlined on this put up. From actively selling matching presents to integrating them into your donation stream, these steps will assist be certain that you seize each greenback of potential matching funds. The extra you optimize your course of, the extra profitable your matching reward program will probably be.

Thinking about studying extra about incorporating strategic matching reward efforts into your general fundraising technique? Take a look at these really helpful guides: