Matching Gift

A matching gift is a charitable donation made by a corporation that matches an employee's personal gift to a nonprofit organization. Most matching programs provide a 1:1 match (doubling the gift), though some companies match at 2:1 or 3:1 ratios, or offer higher matches for specific causes or during designated periods. Matching gifts are one of the easiest ways to increase fundraising revenue without asking any donor to give more.

Why It Matters for Fundraising

Matching gifts represent an enormous, largely untapped source of nonprofit revenue:

• $4-7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed each year. This is money that companies have budgeted to give away — it just requires employees to submit a request.
• Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs, and thousands of smaller companies do as well. Yet most donors do not know if their employer participates.
• Mentioning matching gifts increases giving. Studies show that simply telling donors their gift could be matched increases both the likelihood of donating (by 22%) and the average gift size (by 51%). Even when the match has not been secured, the concept of doubled impact motivates generosity.
• Matching gifts improve donor retention. Donors who submit a matching gift request are 3x more likely to give again the following year. The matching process reinforces their connection to your organization.

How Corporate Matching Works

1. Employee makes a personal donation to a qualifying nonprofit.
2. Employee submits a matching gift request to their employer, usually through an online portal (Double the Donation, Benevity, CyberGrants, or the company's HR system). Most companies have a submission deadline — typically within 12 months of the original gift.
3. Company verifies the nonprofit's eligibility. Most 501(c)(3) organizations qualify. Some companies exclude religious organizations, political entities, or organizations below a certain size.
4. Company sends the matching payment. This can take 2-12 weeks depending on the company's processing cycle. The check arrives from the company, not the employee.

How to Capture More Matching Gifts

Educate at the point of donation

The single most effective tactic is reminding donors about matching gifts when they are making a gift. On your donation confirmation page and in your receipt email, include a message like: "Your employer may match your gift — doubling your impact. Check if your company has a matching program." Include a search tool if possible.

Add a matching gift search to your donation page

Services like Double the Donation or 360MatchPro provide embeddable widgets that let donors search their employer's matching program directly on your website. These tools report that nonprofits using them see a 70-100% increase in matching gift revenue.

Include in every receipt

Every donation receipt should include matching gift information: a brief explanation, a link to check eligibility, and instructions for the most common employers in your donor base.

Promote during campaigns

During your Giving Tuesday and year-end campaigns, specifically mention matching gifts. "Give $50 today — if your employer matches, that's $100 for families in our community."

Follow up

If a donor indicates their employer matches, follow up in 2-4 weeks to check if they submitted the request. A simple reminder email recovers matching gifts that donors intended to submit but forgot.

Know your top matching companies

Identify the 10-20 employers most represented in your donor base and learn their specific matching programs. This lets you provide tailored instructions: "Apple matches gifts up to $10,000 per employee per year. Submit your match at apple.benevity.com."

Types of Matching Programs

• Standard match: 1:1 dollar-for-dollar match, the most common type.
• Enhanced match: 2:1 or 3:1 ratio, offered by some generous companies (Microsoft, Google, Apple).
• Volunteer match: Company donates a set amount per volunteer hour. If a supporter volunteers 100 hours, the company might give $1,000.
• Board service match: Higher match amounts for employees who serve on the nonprofit's board.
• Retirement match: Some companies match gifts from retirees, not just current employees.
• Event match: Company matches donations raised through a specific event (walk-a-thon, 5K).

Common Match Limits

Most corporate programs have annual limits per employee:

• Small/mid companies: $1,000-$5,000/year
• Large corporations: $5,000-$25,000/year
• Top-tier (Apple, Microsoft, Google): $10,000-$15,000/year

Related Terms

• Corporate Giving
• Donor Communication
• Online Giving
• Donation Page
• Giving Tuesday

GiveLink helps nonprofits capture matching gifts by including matching gift prompts on donation confirmation pages and in automated receipt emails. The AI-powered platform can identify donors whose employers offer matching programs and surface reminders at the right time. Start capturing matching gifts with GiveLink.