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Key Characteristics of a Successful Matching Gift Program

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What are the basic things any organization can do to build a successful matching gift program? The first step is to create an internal organizational awareness and commitment to matching gifts. The next most important step is to educate donors about matching gifts and implement an easy way for donors to verify if their gift is match eligible. A lot of people don’t know what a matching gift is and have no time to research if their employer offers a matching gift program. A great way to tackle this issue is to add a separate tab on your web site, defining what matching gifts are and what the process is to get the gift matched. James Madison University provides their donors with a helpful FAQ on matching gifts on their web site. This is a great example of how to educate donors with a matching gift 101. You can take the text from the FAQ example and customize it for your organization.

The second characteristic of a successful matching gift program is to offer your donors a proactive approach to getting their gift matched, not a reactive approach. What is a reactive approach? “Check with your human resources department to see if your donation can be matched.” This approach puts all the work on the donors. A proactive approach is to provide an online-tool that instantly allows your donor to verify if their gift can be matched. HEP’s E-Match link is the perfect solution to implementing a proactive web approach to matching gifts. E-Match allows donors and friends to determine the match eligibility of their gift, with “how to” instructions and access to employer-specific match forms. You can also add a matching gift banner to your web site. Non-profits that take the reactive approach and leave it up to their donors to check with their HR department are taking a huge hit on their matching gift revenue. You have to make it as easy as possible for your donors to get their gift matched.

Another key component to matching gift success is social media and email. Whether you are a social media addict or a hold out, don’t underestimate the power of social media. It is an effective, inexpensive tool to communicate to your supporters. Once you have added the link to your web site be sure to promote it through Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. Create a short post on the benefits to your organization through matching gifts and include your E-Match link. You might share a success story of a sizable gift that was doubled or tripled. These posts are a great way to get your matching gift message to go viral. Keep in mind that matching gifts are free money. If your non-profit implements a few simple matching gift strategies your return will be substantial. Take a proactive approach to matching gifts. Why would you leave free money on the table?

Joan Graham
Director of Client Relations
HEP Development
Joan@hepdata.com


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