As nonprofits we put a lot of work into GivingTuesday. And it is hard to believe it is almost that time of year again. This GivingTuesday can be different, though. Imagine you are able to double or even triple your donations! That is the power of matching grants and gifts. So let’s explore how to secure a matching grant this GivingTuesday so that you create more impact and meaningful change in the world.
1. Identify Potential Donors
Finding the right donor to partner with you to give a matching grant this GivingTuesday is crucial. Using your network is a great way to start identifying who could be a good fit.
Current Donors
You can begin by looking at your existing supporters—who has been consistently engaged or given in the past (especially larger, one time gifts)? Once you have narrowed it down to a few potential major donors, do a little outreach to gauge their interest in making a greater impact through a matching gift. (We’ll talk in step #2 about the best way to make that ask.)
Board of Directors
Your Board of Directors is another great resource. They may have connections to potential major donors or be interested in being the donor themself.
Family Foundations
Another way to identify potential matching grants is to comb through your network to see if you have any connections to individuals who manage family foundations. They could potentially offer support in their own capacity, or through the foundation.
The bottom line is: use your network. There are many generous people supporting your cause. Donors love an opportunity to multiply the impact of their gift.
2. Make the Ask
You have identified a potential donor for your matching gift campaign; awesome! Now to secure the gift by making your ask. If you are like me, this can be a bit scary, but remember, you are inviting your donor to double or even triple their gift through the crowdfunding that their gift will motivate. This is an unmatched opportunity (pun intended) for them to make an even greater impact for a cause they care deeply about.
If you or someone else on your team has a personal connection to the donor, that is usually the best starting point. In my experience, people give to people. By working from an already existing relationship, it makes it just a little bit easier for the donor to get on board because they know you, know your heart behind the cause, and know how they are creating meaningful change.
As always, using impact stories is a great way to demonstrate to the donor how their gift will make a difference. Painting a picture of how their gift will be used is essential to a successful ask.
Finally, when making the ask, be clear about what you want from the donor. Consider things like:
- The amount you want to donor to match
- The timeframe of the matching grant campaign
- What the donation ratio is
- The donation cap
- If there is a specific project/campaign this donation will be used for
Well Aware used 1:1 automated donation matching for their campaign
3. Include The Match In Your GivingTuesday Campaign
Great, you have secured the donation and now all you need to do is share and promote. CauseVox has made it easy to set up your matching gift in your GivingTuesday Campaign through our automated matching feature. With automated matching, your donors can see in real time the impact of their donation being doubled. It also takes out the grunt work of having to manually update your campaign.
Shower Strike’s automated matching campaign in action.
In the Shower Strike campaign, the multiple matching gifts the organization’s team secured helped to double donations, and the automated matching feature helped donors see in real time the impact of their gift. All in all, Well Aware exceeded their goal on their campaign, totaling over $307,000 raised!
Another tool you can use to promote the matching grant in your GivingTuesday campaign includes an impact metric so that donors can see the impact of their gift, and then what happens when that gift is doubled.
This impact metric from Well Aware helps donors see that if they give $100, they are giving five people clean water and sanitation for life. But with the matching gift, that $100 becomes $200 and now their gift has given 10 people clean water for life!
4. Promote Your Matching Gift Campaign
Making sure your donors know about your matching gift campaign this GivingTuesday is essential, as it is the only way you will reach your goal. Don’t let your campaign get lost in the noise. You need to be constantly reminding donors you are here, you have this amazing opportunity for them to double their impact, and you have an easy way for them to donate and see their gift multiply in real time! Here are four ways to promote your matching gift.
Your Website
Create a landing page on your website or a pop up that alerts visitors of your matching gift campaign. You can have a link directly to your customized campaign or donation page so that donors can give seamlessly.
Email Campaigns
Email marketing is one of the most important tools we have at our disposal. Make sure you are promoting your matching gift campaign in your email communication leading up to GivingTuesday and on the day. Consider sending several updates throughout the day with your organization’s progress towards its goal, which is easy since you can see it in real time with the automated matching.
A21’s Giving Tuesday email provides a clear call to action and button that takes you directly to a donation page.
Social Media
Being active on social media before, during, and after your campaign is incredibly important. Build the hype about GivingTuesday with posts leading up to the day, as well as impact stories and detail on how donors gifts will be doubled, and all the good that will create. Using clear, easy to read graphics, videos, or reels will also help you promote your campaign across multiple platforms.
During your campaign, post regular updates showing how close you are getting to your goal to encourage more individuals to give.
Afterwards, share the impact of your matching gift campaign and a heartfelt thank you to all your donors, including the matching donor.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Don’t forget about peer-to-peer fundraising. It helps you accomplish more with less work. Organizations like Spur Local implemented peer-to-peer fundraising in their 2023 GivingTuesday campaign and raised over $1 million dollars! They identified that peer-to-peer fundraising was one of the main driving forces of their success. And the more donors you have giving to your matching gift campaign, the quicker you are going to reach your goal!
Spur Local Donation Counter
Get Started With Your Matching Gift Campaign
Securing and promoting matching gifts can truly transform your GivingTuesday efforts, creating a ripple effect of generosity and impact. By connecting with the right donors, making thoughtful asks, and creatively integrating matching gifts into your campaign, you’ll set yourself up for success. Ready to take your fundraising to the next level? Download our free complete guide to matching gifts now and make this GivingTuesday your most successful one yet.
Download Our Free Complete Guide to Matching Gifts:
