Imagine finding billions of unclaimed dollars sitting on a table, dollars that could help you with your mission. For nonprofits across the U.S., this is not a hypothetical; it’s a daily reality. And the money on the table is from corporate matching gifts. 

Corporate matching gift programs represent one of the most reliable and impactful streams of nonprofit revenue available through corporate social responsibility, yet a staggering amount of potential funding goes undiscovered year after year.

Whether your team is a dedicated staff of 50, a lean crew of five or an organization run entirely by volunteers, your nonprofit has the ability to unlock the full potential of these donations with a scalable, intentional strategy. 

This guide is designed to provide nonprofits of every size with the specific, actionable steps needed to maximize their matching gift revenue. We'll cover:

• Matching gifts 101: Laying the foundation for growth
• Phase 1: The volunteer-powered team
• Phase 2: The small but mighty staff
• Phase 3: The mid-sized nonprofit
• Phase 4: The enterprise nonprofit

The success of any fundraising initiative hinges not on having unlimited resources, but on deploying the right strategies at the right time. By tailoring your approach to your organization’s current capacity, you can build a sustainable, thriving program that includes corporate matching gifts.

Matching gifts 101: Laying the foundation for growth

Corporate matching gift programs are a form of corporate philanthropy through which companies match their employees' individual charitable donations. This practice effectively doubles or, in some cases, triples an employee’s gift to a nonprofit organization. Companies set eligibility criteria, including minimum and maximum donation amounts, the types of nonprofits they support and the submission deadline.

The sheer potential of this revenue stream is monumental. Research conducted by Double the Donation estimates that an incredible $4 to $7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every single year due to a lack of donor awareness and incomplete submission processes. For this reason, prioritizing your organizational readiness to capture corporate matching gifts is a vital strategic decision.

Phase 1: The volunteer-powered team (manual outreach & foundational setup)

For small, local or all-volunteer organizations operating with minimal budget and limited technical staff, the appropriate matching gift strategy must be high-impact yet low-overhead. The focus here is on manually identifying and prompting your most engaged donors. Here are a few key recommendations.

Create a dedicated matching gift webpage

The first step is to establish a single, easy-to-find page on your website dedicated to matching gifts. This matching gift web page should clearly explain what a matching gift is and why it matters, and then lay out the steps a donor needs to take to determine eligibility and get involved. 

Importantly, the page should state your nonprofit's eligibility status and tax ID number, as corporations generally require this information to process the match.

Implement an "ask" on thank-you screens and emails

Donors are most engaged the moment they complete a transaction. This is also when they are most receptive to doubling their impact. On your donation confirmation screen and in your automated thank-you email, include a direct call to action urging donors to check whether their employer offers a corporate match.

Since your matching actions are operated manually in this phase, you should include a link to your dedicated matching gift page and, if known, instructions for downloading appropriate forms.

Leverage email signatures

Every member of your team, from the board president to the part-time volunteer coordinator, should have a short, professional matching gift prompt in the email signature. A concise message like, "Did you know your donation could be doubled? Check if your employer offers a matching gift program," with a link to your dedicated webpage, costs zero dollars and zero hours after the initial setup. 

This practice turns every outward communication into a low-effort fundraising opportunity, ensuring that even in quiet moments, you are consistently promoting corporate matching gifts.

Phase 2: The small but mighty staff (donation form integration & basic automation)

Once your organization has a small, professional fundraising staff, you can move beyond reactive manual processing to proactive, automated identification. This phase focuses on reducing the friction between donation and match submission.

Integrate a matching gift search tool on your donation forms

An integrated matching gift search tool is the single most effective feature to focus on in this phase. It can be placed directly on your online fundraising and confirmation page to streamline access and boost conversion rates. By capturing donors’ employer information at the point of donation, you drastically increase the likelihood that they will submit the match request.

Consider that mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals increases response rates by 71% and average donation amounts by 51%, according to recent industry research. This demonstrates how the promise of a match motivates donors to give more upfront.

Develop a basic post-donation email series

A single thank-you email is not enough to capture all eligible matches. For the best results, your small but mighty staff should implement an automated email workflow dedicated specifically to matching gifts.

• If a donor provided an employer, send a personalized email with the company name, a direct link to the company's matching gift portal and a reminder of the steps to take.
• If a donor did not provide an employer, send a gentle reminder email prompting a check for matching program eligibility.

This automated follow-up is vital because a donor’s initial excitement about giving can often give way to distraction. The reminder keeps the matching opportunity top of mind and provides the specific instructions needed to complete the final step of the process.

Conduct quarterly donor data screenings

In this phase, take time for quarterly or biannual screenings of your entire donor database for employer information. Use dedicated employment screening tools that provide data on current employment and corporate affiliations. This lets you flag donors who work for companies with corporate matching gift programs, enabling you to launch targeted outreach.

Phase 3: The mid-sized nonprofit (targeted appeals & prospect research)

At this stage, your nonprofit has established a steady stream of individual matching gifts and is ready to dedicate specific resources to corporate engagement, potentially a full-time staff member or fundraising coordinator. The goal now is to maximize the completion rate of eligible matches and deepen corporate relationships.

Incorporate matching gift data into all communications

Matching gift data should be integrated into every major piece of donor communication, moving beyond thank-you pages or email follow-ups. For optimal results, this means including a matching gift prompt in:

• Peer-to-peer fundraising: Remind peer-to-peer fundraisers to ask their supporters to check for a match. Also explore fundraising match opportunities through the primary fundraiser’s employer.
• Event registrations: Prompt attendees to search for their employer when purchasing event tickets for auctions, galas and more.
• Direct mail appeals: Include a brief line about checking for a match. Direct donors to a specific resource on your website. Use an easy-to-type URL or scannable QR code to ensure the experience is easy.

This ensures awareness remains high across your supporter base, regardless of the channel used to engage with your organization.

Leverage donor segmentation for deeper engagement

With more staff resources, you can begin to segment your match-eligible donors for targeted appeals. Instead of sending generic emails, craft messages that reference the specific company policy.

For instance, if you have 20 donors who all work for TechCorp Global, which offers a 2:1 match up to $5,000, your email should specifically state: "Did you know TechCorp Global will triple your $100 donation, turning it into $300? Click here for your submission form." 

This level of personalization cuts through the clutter, making the action feel immediate and achievable. However, as your organization grows, manual segmentation eventually hits a ceiling.

Phase 4: The enterprise nonprofit (full automation & data optimization)

Organizations with a significant donor base and a sizable team can invest in automation platforms to capture every eligible match without overloading staff with manual paperwork and tracking. This is where you transition from managing matching gifts to fully optimizing them for maximum revenue.

Implement a comprehensive matching gift automation solution

The most significant step in this phase is adopting a dedicated matching gift automation platform. Tools like Give Lively’s integration with Double the Donation streamline the entire process, including:

• Auto-identification: The system automatically screens donor email domains and donor-provided employment data to instantly determine match eligibility.
• Automated communication: It sends smart, timed email streams to donors, sometimes with pre-filled forms and often with company-specific instructions.
• Full tracking: It monitors the donor's journey and submission status, allowing staff to focus only on high-value, stalled matches rather than mass communication.

The investment in automation technology is directly reflected in the bottom line. Organizations have reported a 20% to 50% increase in matching gift revenue annually after leveraging a dedicated matching gift automation platform.

Deploy multi-step and multi-channel follow-up

In Phase 4, your strategy should employ a robust, multi-touch communication sequence that goes well beyond the initial post-donation thank-you. A sophisticated automation system can trigger a series of emails over several weeks, each with a different subject line and angle to maximize open and click-through rates.

You should integrate matching gift reminders into non-email channels. For example, send a personalized match reminder text message or provide an update on the total matched funds secured in your organization’s yearly impact report.

Geo-targeting and local corporate engagement

While many corporate programs are national or global, local engagement can be a powerful driver of matching gifts. Use your donor data to identify companies with a notable concentration of employees in your specific geographic area, or even those who are already giving to your cause.

Once identified, this insight can be used to initiate deeper corporate partnerships. Rather than relying solely on donor-initiated submissions, you can proactively reach out to the local human resources or corporate social responsibility team at that company. Offer to host a joint volunteer event, organize a one-off matching gift program or provide a tailored presentation on how their corporate gifts are directly impacting your community.

Grow slowly and steadily

The goal of mastering matching gifts is not to add more work. Ideally, it establishes a sustainable, scalable system that maximizes the generosity of existing donors. Whether you’re manually checking eligibility with your smallest grassroots operation or deploying a fully automated software solution for your enterprise-level team, the core mission remains the same: ensure that every dollar a donor gives is maximized for your cause.

The key takeaway? Start small if necessary, implement tools that fit your current budget and then scale your efforts as your donor base and revenue grow. Assess your current phase and invest what's required to move to the next level. Deliberate, incremental steps improve your matching gift process and your team can secure significant, predictable funding that fuels your mission for years to come.

This guest blog post was prepared in collaboration with the Double the Donation team.