Hey nonprofiteers! Please enjoy this guest post by our friends over at Double the Donation about the awesome benefits of matching gifts.

Effectively pursuing matching gift opportunities can go a long way toward maximizing fundraising for your organization. And a lot of that has to do with incorporating smart donor outreach pertaining to the programs.

However, getting started with a well-built-out matching gift messaging strategy can seem like an overwhelming undertaking for nonprofit groups. That’s where we come in! We’ve put together a compilation of free matching gift fundraising templates that your team can use to establish impactful communications with your supporters.

Interested in driving impact for your cause with more matching gifts? Check out these customizable matching gift templates:

• Template #1: Matching Gifts in Fundraising Appeals
• Template #2: Match-Eligible Donation Follow-Ups
• Template #3: Unknown Employer Donation Follow-Ups
• Template #4: Matching Gift Status Update Requests
• Template #5: Successful Matching Gift Acknowledgment Email

Our sample emails can be a helpful tool as your nonprofit aims to craft its own matching gift messaging strategy. Just be sure to adjust each template to fit your organization’s own needs and goals.

Let’s dive in!

Template #1: Matching Gifts in Fundraising Appeals

Corporate matching gifts are most obviously an excellent source of corporate philanthropy revenue for nonprofits. But what some organizations don’t know is that promoting this opportunity can help drive individual giving as well.

In fact, matching gift research from Double the Donation indicates that:

• 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered.
• 1 in 3 indicates they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied to their donation.
• Mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals results in a 71% increase in donation conversion rate and a 51% increase in gift amount.

Use this to your team’s advantage by highlighting matching gift programs directly within your nonprofit’s fundraising asks.

Sample Email

Subject line: Matching gifts make our mission go farther.

Dear [Donor],

You have generously supported [organization] and our mission of [summary of nonprofit mission statement] for [length of time]. We truly thank you for your ongoing engagement, and we wanted to be sure you were aware of a particularly impactful opportunity: corporate matching gifts.

Matching gifts empower our team to do more with the funding we receive from dedicated supporters like you.

If you’re interested in getting involved in our current employee matching gift campaign, make a donation here: [link to online donation form].

Then, follow the provided instructions to get your gift matched and double your overall impact.

Looking to see if your company offers such a program? Click here to find out: [link to matching gift web page with embedded search tool]

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Position]

[Organization]

Template #2: Match-Eligible Donation Follow-Ups

Make sure to follow up with donors post-transaction to remind them about available matching gift opportunities and provide relevant information when possible.

Top tip: If you’ve included a matching gift database search tool on your nonprofit giving page, you likely collect a wealth of information pertaining to donors’ employing companies. From there, you can use those details to fill in the blanks about your supporters’ company-specific program guidelines and next steps.

Sample Email

Subject line: [Donor], your gift to [organization] likely qualifies for a match!

[Donor], did you know that your employer, [company], matches gifts made by employees to charitable organizations like ours?

Our records indicate that gifts between [company’s minimum match amount] and [company’s maximum match amount] made by eligible employees like you qualify for generous company matching.

To submit your matching gift request and amplify your donation impact for [organization], click here: [URL for the company’s matching gift portal or another request form].

Let us know if you have any questions about submitting your match, and we’d love to guide you through the process!

Thanks in advance,

[Name]

[Position]

[Organization]

Template #3: Unknown Employer Donation Follow-Ups

Perhaps a donor did not enter their employer’s name in the company search tool on your donation form. In that case, your team may not know where the individual works⁠—which makes it difficult to determine matching gift eligibility.

Luckily, we have a matching gift template for donors with unknown eligibility, as well.

Sample Email

Subject line: Does your employer match gifts?

[Donor],

Did you know that 26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs? That includes more than 65% of Fortune 500 companies⁠—as well as tens of thousands of other businesses. This allows organizations like [organization name] to do more with generous donor contributions and better pursue our overall mission of [summary of nonprofit mission statement].

Find out if your employer matches gifts by entering the company name in our comprehensive search tool here: [link to matching gift web page with embedded search tool].

Does your company not offer a matching gift program? Check out this blog post to see how you can advocate for donation-matching opportunities to your employer!

Best regards,

[Name]

[Position]

[Organization]

Template #4: Matching Gift Status Update Requests

Understanding where your donors are within the matching gift process can help your team estimate projected revenue, drive forward stuck matches, and more. But it can be difficult to identify progress without asking⁠—so that’s exactly what we recommend doing!

Sample Email

Subject line: Have you submitted your matching gift request?

Dear [Donor],

Our records indicate that your recent donation to [organization] likely qualifies for a corporate match.

Have you submitted your matching gift request yet?

Matching gifts empower our organization to stretch giving impact further and do more for our overall mission. For us, that means having more funding available for [summary of cause-related project or programming], [summary of cause-related project or programming], and [summary of cause-related project or programming].

And we can’t do it without your help!

If you haven’t yet, request a matching donation by filling out the brief submission form linked here: [URL for the company’s matching gift portal or another request form].

Once you’ve requested your match, let us know by clicking here.

Thanks always,

[Name]

[Position]

[Organization]

Template #5: Successful Matching Gift Acknowledgment Email

Once you receive a matching donation from a supporter’s employer, it’s important that you follow up with the donor who submitted the match. While the corporate funding didn’t come directly from the individual’s wallet, it is crucial to remember that it wouldn’t have been possible without their help.

They went above and beyond for your organization, so you really should send an acknowledgment noting as much. Plus, this can help close the loop for the donor, reiterate the impact of their corporate match request, and increase the likelihood that they’ll request a matching gift again in the future.

Sample Email

Subject line: Thanks for the match, [donor]!

Dear [Donor],

We are writing to inform you that we recently received a matching donation from your employer, [company]. We so appreciate you going above and beyond for [organization] and our mission, and we look forward to seeing what your giving impact will accomplish.

Thanks to your corporate match, we can’t wait to [summary of cause-related project or programming made possible through additional funding].

Cheers,

[Name]

[Position]

[Organization]

Bring your matching gift strategy to the next level! Leveraging automation⁠—such as with the seamless integration of Double the Donation and Funraise⁠ giving tools—to trigger automated and personalized matching gift experiences. You’ll be seeing new revenue streams flowing into your nonprofit in no time.

Learn more about the partnership and how your organization can benefit here.