Get the Most Out of a Matching Gift Opportunity

It all has to do with perception.

You’ve probably created—or at least heard of—matching gift or grant opportunities before. A matching gift opportunity is when every dollar donated to an organization or project during a set period of time is matched by another benefactor.

However, what you may not have realized is that there’s a simple technique—a change to how the message is portrayed—which will make your matching gift campaigns more effective.

Typical Matching Gift Example

Often, when an organization announces a matching gift opportunity to their supporters they use language like this: ‘Every dollar donated in August will be matched up to $25,000.’

Adjust the messaging

However, based on the nonprofits we have worked with—both large and small—the data shows that if you make a slight adjustment to your “messaging”, it can make a big difference—increasing the number of donors by over 25% and donation amounts by over 20%.

Using the previous example, rather than saying ‘Every dollar donated will be matched up to $25,000.’

Simply reword your messaging like this: ‘Donate to our organization in August and double your money. Every donation given will be doubled, up to $25,000.’

See the difference? It’s subtle, but it could have a big effect on the success of your donation drive.