In the past few years, Giving Tuesday has become a global movement of significant generosity that encourages individuals to come together to support causes they care about. For nonprofits and other charitable organizations, it’s a unique opportunity to supercharge their fundraising and make a lasting impact. 💜
One of the best ways to maximize giving on this critical day is by leveraging corporate matching gift programs. In this post, we’ll explore five powerful strategies to help your nonprofit boost donor engagement, increase contributions 📈, and take full advantage of matching gift opportunities on Giving Tuesday. 🎁
These include:
- Marketing matching gifts well leading up to Giving Tuesday.
- Securing a one-off matching gift partnership for Giving Tuesday.
- Collecting employment information as individuals give.
- Sending a follow-up email reminding donors to complete their matches.
- Investing in matching gift automation software.
- Bonus: Using our free Giving Tuesday matching gift template! 📄✨
Ready for Double the Giving Tuesday success for your organization? Let’s get started with our first tip.
1. Market matching gifts well leading up to Giving Tuesday. 📢
You need your donors to be familiar with the idea of matching gifts if you want them to partake in the programs. For this reason, marketing matching gifts to your audience is essential—and doing so ahead of time can set the tone for your campaign even before Giving Tuesday rolls around.
For the best results, we recommend taking a combined approach, leveraging your nonprofit website, newsletters, social media pages, and more. Then, once Giving Tuesday rolls around, you’ll want to include a matching gift mention in your fundraising appeals, too!
2. Secure a one-off matching gift partnership for Giving Tuesday. 🤝
Tons of companies offer matching gift programs in which they double or even triple the donations their employees contribute to causes like yours. But what if a company in your network doesn’t match gifts? In that case, we recommend seeking a one-off matching gift partnership—and Giving Tuesday can be the perfect opportunity to organize one.
A one-off matching gift program is essentially a collaborative effort through which a company exclusively matches gifts to your organization. It can be a great way for a business to test out the matching gift waters and an excellent engagement booster for donors who work for the company.
3. Collect employment information as individuals give. 📝
In order to pursue matching gifts effectively, it’s important that your team has what it needs to identify eligible donors. Most importantly, that means access to employment information. The best chance to collect this information is directly as donors give—especially on a day such as Giving Tuesday.
Be sure to prepare your donation pages beforehand to collect this information (either with a plain-text form field or Double the Donation’s matching gift search tool) so you can glean maximal insights from supporters at the height of their engagement with your cause.
4. Send a follow-up email reminding donors to complete their matches. 📧
After a donor completes their gift, they have a powerful opportunity to make their impact go even further by pursuing a match from their employer. But sometimes, they’ll need an extra nudge to get their match across the finish line. That’s where follow-up emails can come in handy!
Make sure each donor receives a tailored reminder that lets them know about their matching gift potential, informs them about the next steps, and encourages them to take the appropriate action. For the best results, keep in mind that this can be sent on Giving Tuesday or a few days down the line, but you want to re-engage supporters while your cause is still at the top of their minds.
5. Invest in matching gift automation software. ⚙️
Giving Tuesday is likely a busy time for your organization. At the very least, it signifies the start of the year-end giving season, which is an essential one for nonprofit fundraisers. In order to make the most of the day (including matching gifts) without spreading your team even thinner, we recommend making the most of automation.
Fortunately, Double the Donation integrates with your Kindest fundraising tools to make doing so easier than ever. Equipped with the solution, your team will be better prepared to identify and follow up with match-eligible donors on Giving Tuesday and beyond—all without lifting a finger.
Bonus: Use our free Giving Tuesday matching gift template! ✨
Get a head start on your Giving Tuesday email outreach by utilizing our free, fully customizable template below.
Subject: Double your Giving Tuesday impact with matching gifts (🎁 + 🎁)
Body: Dear [Donor’s name],
Happy Giving Tuesday! On this global day of generosity, did you know that your gift can go twice as far with a corporate match?
Thousands of employers offer matching gift programs to double the impact of their employees’ charitable contributions, and yours may be one of them. Here’s how you can find out:
Step #1: Make your Giving Tuesday gift: [Donation page URL]
Step #2: Enter your employer’s name. When prompted on the giving page, enter the name of your company in the employer search tool. We’ll collect the information and provide you with employer-specific next steps and request forms post-donation.
Step #3: Follow the instructions provided to complete your matching gift request and double (or even triple!) the impact of your donation on our cause.
We couldn’t do this without your support. Thanks for your gifts—and your matches—today and every day.
Best wishes,
[Your name]
[Nonprofit]
All in all, Giving Tuesday is an invaluable opportunity for nonprofits to engage donors and amplify their impact. By implementing these five strategies—from promoting matching gifts early on to investing in the right tools to power your efforts—your organization can significantly boost its fundraising success.
Doubling donations through matching gifts not only increases the immediate funds raised but also deepens donor relationships and sets your nonprofit up for a strong year-end campaign. In other words, with the right approach, Giving Tuesday can be a launchpad for greater support and long-term growth. Best of luck! 💜
