Matching Gifts Made Operational: Capture Employer Data and Double Donations
Organizations that use matching gift programs to support their nonprofit work can easily increase their donation amounts. Yet every year, organizations fail to collect these funds, leaving them as unclaimed matching gifts. This does not happen because donors do not care about their donations. It happens because donors must take extra steps to request the match. Nonprofits lose potential revenue because they do not implement three essential steps. Organizations that want to turn their matching gift program into a reliable system should follow this process. When you turn matching gifts into a structured system, you unlock revenue that already exists.
This guide will help your organization build a clear operational plan to uncover hidden revenue and increase donations.
How Matching Gifts for Nonprofits Work and Why They Get Missed
Matching gifts for nonprofits are part of employer matching gift programs offered by many companies. Many companies offer matching donations for their employees’ eligible charitable contributions. In a typical program, if a donor gives $100, the employer also gives $100. Some companies use a matching system that provides two or three times the original amount.
This sounds simple. But most matches never happen.
Why do they get missed?
First, nonprofits do not always ask donors where they work. You need the employer name because corporate giving programs use it to determine eligibility.
Second, donors often do not know their company offers a match. Many donors never submit the request because they are not reminded to do so.
Many nonprofits lack a clear process for managing matching gift requests. Staff may not know who should follow up, when to follow up, or how to track the status.
The result is lost revenue. The opportunity exists, but the system does not.
Data Capture: Employer as a Must-Have CRM Field
The first rule of matching gifts for nonprofits is to collect employer information.
The employer field on the donation form should not be optional in your internal thinking. The employer field should be treated as required for planning and reporting. According to your team, the field should be treated as vital information, although it is optional for donors.
Your CRM system requires an employer field that connects directly to every donor record. You must not keep it in notes. You must not hide it within comments. The information needs to be accessible for both searching and creating reports.
Why is this important?
When employer data is clean and structured, you can:
- You can identify which gifts match the eligibility requirements.
- You can divide donors into groups based on their employment with particular companies.
- You can send emails about matching gifts to specific target audiences.
- You can track revenue generated from employer match programs.
Without this field, matching gifts are nearly impossible to track accurately. With it, you gain visibility and control over match revenue.
Donation Form Placements That Increase Match Identification
The employer field on the donation form must be filled out carefully. When it appears at the bottom or looks secondary, many donors will skip it.
Place the employer question near the contact information section and use clear language, such as: “Employer Name (To See If Your Gift Can Be Matched).”
This brief explanation matters because it tells donors why you are asking.
You can also add a short note below the field, such as: “Many companies match donations to nonprofits.” This reinforces the benefit and increases completion rates.
After the donation is completed, include matching gift information in the receipt and thank-you email. A simple reminder like, “Check if your employer will match your gift,” can significantly increase participation.
Consistent, well-timed reminders lead to higher match submission rates.
The Matching Gift Workflow: From Donation to Match Submission
Nonprofits need to establish a specific process for managing matching gifts. Staff members will not remember to complete their follow-up tasks without an established procedure.
The operational flow includes five clear steps.
Step 1: Donation is Recorded
The gift enters the CRM with the employer field completed.
Step 2: Employer Is Reviewed
Staff checks if the employer offers employer-matched gifts. Matching-gift automation tools support this process, which staff can also conduct manually.
Step 3: Donor Is Notified
The donor receives instructions about the requirements when they become eligible. Matching gift emails provide donors with the information they need to submit requests to their company.
Step 4: Status is Updated
The CRM system displays matching gift status through the gift record. The following status options exist:
- Eligible
- Submitted
- Approved
- Received
- Not Eligible
Step 5: Follow-Up
If no match is received within the set timeframe, send a reminder.
All steps of this matching-gift submission process require documentation. Responsibility needs to be assigned. The organization must establish time frames. The process needs to be designed for repeated implementation.
When the process is clear, matching gifts for nonprofits stop depending on memory.
Tracking in the CRM: Statuses, Soft Credits, and Revenue Attribution
Nonprofits should track matching gifts separately while linking them to the original donation.
Your matching gift tracking CRM system should include each matched gift, which needs to
- Link to the initial donation
- Record as a separate revenue stream.
- Show the company name.
- Display the relationship to the donor.
Some CRM systems, such as Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack, allow structured donation management and soft credits tied to related records. This ensures accurate revenue tracking while connecting the employer match to the original donor gift.
Why does this matter?
The combination of match revenue with regular gifts prevents you from assessing performance. The system enables you to monitor:
- Total matching gift revenue
- Match rate
- Employer participation
Nonprofits require their own reporting category for matching gifts.
Measurement: Match Rate, Average Match Value, and Time-To-Match
You cannot improve what you do not measure. Your organization needs to establish performance metrics to enable monitoring of matching gift operations through your CRM system.
There are three key numbers every organization should monitor.
Match Rate
The match rate shows the percentage of eligible donations that result in a completed employer match.
Your match rate equals 20 percent because 20 matches were received from 100 donors who qualified for employer matching gifts.
This number tells you whether your follow-up process is working.
Average Match Value
Average match value shows how much companies typically contribute per matched gift.
If your average match value is low, you may be missing opportunities from companies that offer two-to-one or three-to-one matching ratios.
Tracking this metric helps you understand the financial impact of matching gifts for nonprofits.
Time-To-Match
Time-to-match measures how long it takes from the original donation to the employer payment.
If matches take too long, donors may not be submitting requests quickly, or reminders may not be strong enough.
Time-to-match tracking enables you to adjust communication timing for better results.
The monthly review of these three metrics yields predictable matching gift results that assist nonprofits throughout their matching gift processes.
Common Friction Points and How to Reduce Donor Drop-Off
Friction barriers prevent donors from completing their tasks even when systems are in place.
Common issues include:
Donor Does Not Know How to Submit
Solution: Provide direct instructions and links in follow-up messages.
Process Feels Complicated
Solution: Break the steps into simple bullet points inside matching gift emails.
No Reminder Is Sent
Solution: Automate follow-up through matching gift automation if volume justifies it.
Employer Field Was Left Blank
Solution: Send a short post-gift message asking, “Would you like to see if your employer matches donations?”
Increasing participation becomes possible by reducing friction. The success of nonprofit matching gifts depends on the participation of donors. Your match rate increases when you create easier processes.
A Minimal Matching Gifts Implementation Checklist
To operationalize matching gifts for nonprofits, follow this simple checklist:
- Add an employer field to every donor record in your CRM.
- Include the employer field on your donation form with a clear explanation.
- Create well-defined matching-gift statuses in your system.
- Build standard matching gift email templates for follow-up.
- Track match revenue separately from original gifts.
- Review matching gift performance monthly.
The process of capturing employer information provides advantages to all organizations when it operates consistently. Corporate giving programs are not limited to large organizations. Many mid-sized and small companies offer employer-matched gifts.
Operational discipline determines which organizations will experience revenue loss through missed funds or which ones will achieve financial success through increased donations.
Conclusion
Matching gifts for nonprofits are already-earned revenue that becomes available when the process is completed. Your organization will achieve predictable income results through your process, which includes employer data collection and matching gift submission procedure definition, structured tracking implementation, and performance evaluation.
The system consists of four main components. First, gather employer data. Second, identify eligible donations. Third, provide clear submission instructions. Fourth, track matching revenue as a separate stream.
When these four components operate together, matching gifts become a predictable revenue channel instead of an occasional bonus.
FAQs
What is a matching gift?
A matching gift refers to a company that provides financial support to its employees’ contributions to approved nonprofit organizations. The employer gives additional funds based on the employee’s gift.
When should we ask donors about matching?
The employer field should be used to ask at checkout, and subsequent receipts should include another request. The use of reminders leads to higher participation rates.
What’s the one field we must collect?
Employer name. Without it, you cannot identify match eligibility.
How do we track match revenue?
Your CRM should maintain it as an independent revenue stream, linked to the original donation record.
Do matching gifts work for small nonprofits?
Yes. Small organizations can achieve substantial match revenue when companies consistently track their employee charitable giving.