A fundraiser’s guide to charity matching
In our modern working world, organisations are always looking for new ways to connect with their communities and expand the positive impacts of their business. As a result, charity-giving initiatives have grown in popularity, allowing employees and wider society to make a difference to causes close to them.
One method of doing this is charity matching, enabling companies to support charitable causes that need financial help to reach their fundraising goals. In this article, we explain what donation matching is and how it can be used to give your fundraiser a boost.
What is charity matching?
Charity matching, also known as donation matching, involves organisations matching the donations given to charitable causes by individual donors. This is usually done by providing a percentage of the total donation amount or dollar-to-dollar.
For example, if someone donates $100 to a local nonprofit, the matched giving amount could be an additional donation of $100. This means the charity will receive $200 in total, rather than simply the initial $100. Each company that offers charity matching will tend to have their own guidelines.
These donation-matching programmes have the potential to make a massive difference. Not only is it an excellent way of helping those in need and boosting fundraising amounts, but it can also help an organisation promote a positive public image and show that it takes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seriously. This is a win-win for charities, who can reach wider audiences and raise more funds for their worthy cause.
The benefits of donation matching
There are many benefits associated with charity matching, helping to boost the impact of funds raised, engage new donors, and encourage larger donations. Whether it’s the charitable cause, the donor, or the organisation that’s matching the donation, everybody is a winner.
- Raise more money – Charity matching gives you the opportunity to boost the amount of money raised through fundraising. Depending on the organisation’s programme, you have the potential to double the funds you raise.
- Help to promote the fundraiser – Getting a well-known company involved will help you promote the fundraiser and spread the good word about the amazing cause you’re supporting. Better promotion equals more donations.
- Expand your reach – You’ll also be able to create more connections and help get other people invested in your cause that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible.
How to use matched giving in your fundraising
If you want to make a big difference to a worthy cause but need some help meeting your fundraising goals, then charity matching could be the solution. Here, we provide simple steps on how to use matched giving in your fundraising.
1. Find a partner willing to match donations
Firstly, you’ll need to find an organisation that’s willing to match your donation. You can either speak to your current employer, do your research to seek a company that has participated in charity matching before, or try your luck by reaching out to somebody new.
Here are some top tips for finding a partner:
- Approach organisations in the local community.
- Look for organisations that are aligned with the cause you’re raising money for.
- Be clear in your ask and your ambitions for the fundraiser. State how much you’re looking to raise and find out how much they may be willing to match.
2. Create your fundraiser
Once you’ve found a willing organisation, it’s time to create your fundraiser and get started. While this may seem daunting at first, GoFundMe is on hand to make the process as simple as possible and guide you throughout your fundraising journey. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
Create your GoFundMe fundraiser today.
3. Highlight the donation matching on your fundraising page
When you start writing your fundraising story, it’s important to be transparent about your charity matching partnership and provide all the relevant details to potential donors. This should be featured prominently on the page, with information about the organisation and why it aligns with your ambitions to raise funds for your chosen cause.
Find out more about how to write an honest, powerful fundraiser story here. Remember, the more effectively you tell it, the more successful your fundraiser is likely to be.
4. Promote the event with your fundraising partner
Next, you need to start promoting your fundraiser. One of the benefits of donation matching is that you can lean on your fundraising partner when it comes to promotion and spreading the word. If it’s a large organisation with a big audience, you could significantly elevate your fundraising efforts.
Here are some top tips on how to promote your event alongside your partner:
- Social media – Promoting your fundraiser on social media is a powerful tool. It helps to expand your reach and get your fundraiser noticed by a wider demographic.
- Word of mouth – Go old school. Tell family, friends, and colleagues about your fundraising efforts and share your GoFundMe page with them.
- Reach out to media outlets – Get in touch with local radio and television stations and newspapers.
- Collaborate with influencers – Influencer marketing has boomed in popularity. You can gain access to a huge amount of online traffic by finding an influencer who resonates with your cause.
- Utilise your partner’s marketing channels – Speak to your partner about using their email marketing, website, and social media channels to promote your fundraiser.
5. Provide regular updates on progress
Last, but by no means least, make sure you update people on how the fundraiser is progressing. Don’t drop the ball once the fundraiser is live – provide regular updates about how you’re getting on and take the chance to reiterate that donations will be matched.
You may find that people are willing to be more generous if they know that an organisation matches any donations being made.
Start raising money today
Charity matching has the potential to have a dramatic positive impact on your fundraising efforts. More organisations are willing to help worthy causes than ever before, which means you can capitalise on this generosity and make a genuine difference to a charity close to your heart.
Whether it’s donation matching or any other fundraising method, you can start a fundraiser for almost any cause with the help of GoFundMe. With over $9 billion raised from more than 120 million donations, you can join us on our journey to make the world a better place.