Donation matching is a popular corporate giving strategy where a company matches the charitable donations made by their employees. According to Nonprofit Source, 9 out of 10 companies offer a donation matching program. Employer matching programs are so widespread that you likely already work at a company that matches donations.
Companies usually match at a 1:1 ratio, meaning that if you give $25 to your favorite nonprofit, your employer will also donate $25. Some generous employers offer higher match ratios like 2:1 or even 3:1. An estimated $2-3 billion is raised through corporate matching every year, but reports show that this could be much more. It’s estimated that $4-7 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed each year. Yes, $4-7 billion that could go to charity is left on the table every year!
At Daffy, we’re focused on helping our members be more generous, more often, and know that everyone loves doubling their impact—and would absolutely hate to see that money go to waste.
1. Take Advantage of Your Employer Matching Program
One of the biggest reasons so much money is left unused is people don’t know that their employers offer it, so start by checking with your HR or People team. If your company has a donation matching program, be sure to take advantage of it.
Most companies partner with a donation service provider to fulfill the match. You may have to sign up or create an account with this service provider to get started. It can take a little legwork upfront, but it will be worth it when you know you’ve doubled your impact in support of your favorite causes or organizations.
If your company doesn’t currently offer a matching program, consider asking them to start one. Daffy for Work is a modern workplace-giving solution designed to make it easier than ever for companies to empower their employees to give to the causes they care most about. Here's an email template you can send to your HR team.
2. Understand Your Employer’s Donation Matching Policy
Read up on your company’s donation matching policy. Every company is different, but for the most part, they should clearly outline answers to the following questions:
- What is your company’s match ratio? Many companies offer to match their employee's charitable donations, with some matching at a 1:1 ratio, while others may offer a more generous 2:1 or even 3:1 ratio.
- What is the total donation amount your company will match each year? For some companies, it could be a few hundred dollars. For others, it could be significantly more. For example, Google and Microsoft match up to $10,000 and $15,000 per employee per year, respectively.
- What is the minimum donation amount your company will match? Some employers set a minimum donation they will match (usually around $25).
- Does your company match volunteer hours? Some employers donate a set amount for each hour of volunteer time. For example, Apple donates $25 to the organization for each hour of an employee’s volunteer time.
- Are there exclusions or limits on matching for certain organizations or causes? Most companies that offer a donation matching program will allow their employees to donate to any 501(c)(3) organization in good standing with the IRS. However, be sure to check if your company has any criteria for the types of organizations that are eligible to receive a match or if you have to make the donation in a specific time frame.
Understanding your company’s match policy will help you leverage your company’s program to the fullest and maximize your charitable impact.
3. Get Your Donation on Daffy Matched by Your Employer
We’ve made it super simple to increase your impact through corporate matching. With Daffy, you can easily submit your donation to your employer for matching:
- Find the donation you’d like your employer to match, and on daffy.org click “View,” and on our app just tap it.
- Click or tap “Get Receipt” and download the receipt
- Upload it to your employer matching portal to request the match
If you’d like all your donations, you can download the donations report:
- Go to the Donations tab
- Download the CSV file of the year you’d like
Every employer has its own matching policy, and most will only match donations you make to charities through your donor-advised fund (DAF), not the contributions you make to your DAF. However, if your employer does match DAF contributions, you can get those matched by using your Tax Summary report (available year-round on Daffy).
- Go to the Contributions tab
- Click on Tax Summary and download the one for the current year
- Upload it to your employer matching portal to request the match
If you have any questions or issues with getting your Daffy contributions or donations matched, let us know.
4. Spread The Word
The reason so much money goes unused is the lack of awareness of these programs. Encourage your coworkers to get their donations matched, and tell friends to ask their employers if they have a matching program, too.
There are a few employer match databases online if you want to quickly check if your company has a program, but your best bet is to contact your HR department directly.
If you’re a Daffy member, be sure to invite your friends through your invite link and receive rewards. If you’re not a member yet, you can get started here.