Matching Gifts can double or triple a charitable gift

Do your donors get their gifts to your organisation matched by their employer?

Thousands of employers worldwide match the charitable giving of their employers. In Asia-Pacific, many charities have not yet fully developed a matching gift program. Let’s get a movement started!

What are matching gifts? Employers match charitable giving of employees, retirees, and, often, their spouses. The match is often 1:1 or 2:1. Sometimes there is a minimum the employer will match and often times there is a maximum the employer will match as well.

Matching gifts double or triple a gift to your charitable organisation. It is common for an employee to not be aware that their employer matches chartable gifts. If they are aware, donors often times need to be reminded to seek the match from their employee’s human resources or benefits office. Not prompting the donor often times means you and the donor are leaving money on the table.

Remind donors about matching gifts in appeal letters and in receipt/acknowledgement letters, as well as on your organisation’s Website.

Why do employers match the giving of their staff? Employers match their employee’s giving to demonstrate a commitment to their employees and to support the charities their employees care most about. The employee has already vetted the non-profit organisation, suggesting a trust in the organisation by making their individual gift. The employee, in a sense, has done the heavy lifting for the company.

Matching gifts are major income for many hospitals, universities, museums, and charities in the United States. Those same companies matching gifts stateside are doing business in Asia Pacific and will likely match the giving of their employees in our part of the world.

Matching gift programs require a bit of development and once underway are a means to bring in healthy income into your organisation.

Does your organisation receive matching gifts from the employers of your donors? Tell us how you have achieved good results.