Soapbox Engage Blog

In the nonprofit world, effective fundraising isn't just about collecting donations—though that’s obviously an integral component. Instead, it's about fostering sustainable growth to fuel your organization’s efforts.

If you’re looking for a powerful way to supercharge this growth while engaging individual donors and corporations alike, workplace giving programs (like matching gifts and more) might be just what you need.

In this guide, we'll delve into the essence of workplace giving⁠—and why it matters for nonprofits⁠—explore various programs, and equip your team with strategies to maximize its corporate fundraising potential.

Table of Contents

• What Is Workplace Giving?
• Types of Workplace Giving Programs to Know
• 4 Strategies to Reach Your Workplace Giving & Matching Gift Potential

What Is Workplace Giving?

Workplace giving describes a specific type of corporate philanthropy that directly and actively engages a company’s employees in the initiative. Businesses that offer workplace giving programs typically encourage employees to donate their time or dollars to charitable organizations. This, in turn, empowers them to unlock additional company funds or resources for the causes they care about. And it provides a simple yet impactful way for individuals to support the causes they care about even more.

In comparison, broader corporate philanthropy efforts are generally chosen and facilitated by company leadership (e.g., a corporation providing a significant grant amount to a single national nonprofit) with little to no involvement by those in individual contributor roles.

Types of Workplace Giving Programs to Know

Workplace giving isn’t a single kind of philanthropy program but a grouping of initiatives that engage a company’s employees in giving. By strategically leveraging the following program types (though this is by no means an exhaustive list), nonprofits like yours can accelerate growth and achieve mission impact more effectively:

• Matching Gifts ⁠— Companies match their employees' donations to eligible nonprofits, effectively doubling the impact of each contribution.
• Volunteer Grants ⁠— Employees volunteer their time, and in return, their employers provide monetary grants to the organizations they support.
• Other Corporate Volunteerism ⁠— Companies organize team volunteer events or offer paid time off for employees to engage in community service projects.
• Payroll Donations ⁠— Employees donate a percentage or a fixed amount from each paycheck to regularly support designated causes.
• Employee Giving Stipends ⁠— Employers supply dedicated stipends for employees to contribute to the charitable organizations of their choice.

Remember: ensuring your team is familiar with various types of workplace giving programs is a must. The more extensive your knowledge regarding available opportunities, the better your organization can diversify its funding channels, strengthen corporate partnerships, enhance donor engagement, and maximize fundraising success.

4 Strategies to Reach Your Workplace Giving & Matching Gift Potential

Matching gifts—along with other leading workplace giving initiatives—play a pivotal role in nonprofit fundraising. Not only do they supply organizations with an invaluable source of corporate funding, but they also increase donor and volunteer engagement (and retention), streamline progress toward fundraising goals, and maximize individual contribution impact.

So, how can you reap even more of these benefits? A well-thought-out fundraising plan can go a long way. Check out the following tips and strategies!

1. Educate donors about popular matching and workplace giving programs.

Many donors remain unaware that their companies offer matching gifts or other workplace giving programs. Thus, educating supporters about the opportunities that may be available to them is one of the first essential steps to maximize fundraising potential and deepen engagement with the programs.

For example, Double the Donation studies indicate that the potential for a matching gift increases individual conversion rates and average gift sizes. But your donors need to know about the programs to reap the benefits!

We recommend taking a proactive approach to educating your audience about workplace giving⁠—and encouraging them to look into their own employers’ program options. Consider promoting the opportunity in your emails, social media posts, mailings, and even directly as donors give.

2. Collect donor employer data to identify workplace giving opportunities.

Gathering donor employer data empowers nonprofits to identify opportunities for matching gifts, volunteer grants, and other workplace giving programs, thereby unlocking additional sources of revenue and support. Then, once you have the information, you can use it to personalize corporate giving outreach with company-specific insights on a supporter’s available giving programs.

Top tip: A workplace giving program database will come in handy here! Not only can you determine whether a supporter’s company offers matching gifts or volunteer grants, but you can also supply the individual with links to their employer’s submission forms and eligibility criteria.

3. Follow up with eligible supporters to encourage completed requests.

Following up with supporters who qualify for matching gifts (or volunteer grants!) is a critical step for nonprofits to maximize their fundraising efforts through workplace giving. This kind of outreach strategy allows your team to remind individuals how they can multiply their impact and encourage them to complete and submit requests to their employers.

We recommend sending a matching gift email in the first 24 hours after a donor gives. At the same time, a volunteer grant reminder should be sent once an individual reaches their company’s minimum number of hours.

As an added benefit, workplace giving reminders supply an additional touch point in the stewardship process⁠—keeping your organization at the forefront of supporters’ minds for longer.

4. Express genuine gratitude for supporters’ workplace giving participation.

Expressing genuine gratitude for supporters' workplace giving participation is a must. Not only should you show your appreciation for any donor or volunteer contributions, but those who partake in workplace giving programs are going above and beyond to secure additional funding for your cause. They deserve a little extra thanks, too.

We recommend acknowledging workplace giving participants (such as matching gift donors and Dollars for Doers volunteers) at a few key opportunities:

• After the individual completes their initial donation or volunteer hours
• When the individual indicates that they’ve submitted a workplace giving request to their employer
• Upon receiving the fulfilled matching gift or volunteer grant from the individual’s employing company

Doing so positions nonprofit fundraisers to better foster donor loyalty, strengthen supporter relationships, and cultivate an ongoing culture of philanthropy. Plus, supporters who have a positive experience with workplace giving will be more inclined to participate again in the future!

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Workplace giving initiatives supply invaluable resources for nonprofit organizations pursuing continuous growth and sustainability. By familiarizing yourself with the range of giving programs available⁠—from matching gifts to volunteer grants and beyond⁠—your team can unlock its full potential and make a lasting difference in your community.

To start ramping up your workplace giving and matching gift efforts, it’s a good idea to ensure your fundraising toolkit is equipped with the right tools. For that, we recommend exploring Soapbox Engage’s turnkey integration with the industry’s leading provider of matching gift software: Double the Donation!