How Matching Gift Appeals Can Fuel Alumni Engagement
Billions of dollars are contributed to nonprofits and schools each year through corporate matching gift programs. But these initiatives can do more than offer funding for your institution. If youre wondering how matching gift appeals can fuel alumni engagement, youve come to the right place.
Alumni engagement is critical for colleges, universities, and other educational institutions, so much so that there are entire conferences dedicated to it. After all, most schools seek to build a strong community and foster lifelong relationships with their graduates. Not to mention, a schools alumni can also be some of its most valuable assets in terms of fundraising and overall financial support.
However, it can sometimes be a challenge to keep alumni connected to your school in the long run.
In order to inspire alumni giving, strengthen relationships with your institutions former student base, and deepen connections to your overall cause, we recommend incorporating matching gift appeals into your strategy.
In this guide, well provide ample insights that can be used to integrate employee gift-matching and alumni relations for optimal results. And well do so by exploring the following topics:
- Benefits of Matching Gift Appeals for Alumni Engagement
- How to Drive Alumni Engagement with Matching Gift Appeals
- Best Practices for Effective Alumni-Centric Matching Gift Appeals
- Example Schools with Successful Alumni Matching Gift Appeals
Eager to learn more? Let’s dive in!
Benefits of Matching Gift Appeals for Alumni Engagement
Matching gift appeals are an excellent way to connect (and reconnect) with alumni and drive engagement with your school. Tens of thousands of companies agree to match employee donations to their favorite charitable causesoften including educational institutions.
However, the opportunity is often underutilized, with only a fraction of qualifying donors going on to submit their matching gift requests. Thats where well-written appeals can come in, promoting matching gift information and ultimately leading to increased philanthropic support for institutions like yours.
Lets take a look at a few of the most valuable benefits of matching gift appeals on your alumni engagement strategy.
Elevated gift conversion rates
One significant (yet often overlooked) advantage of matching gift appeals is their ability to drive elevated gift conversion rates. In fact,泭recent studies show泭that over 84% of individuals indicated that theyre more likely to donate if a match is offered. As a result, incorporating matching gifts in an organizations fundraising appeals results in an average 71% increase in response rate.
Increased donation amounts
Moreover, matching gift appeals have been shown to also increase the average donation amounts an organization receives, as supporters are typically motivated to give more when they know their gifts will be doubled. 1 in 3 donors indicates theyd give a larger gift if matching is applied, and highlighting the opportunity in matching gift appeals泭莉梗款棗娶梗泭a donation is made leads to 51% growth in average gift size.
This can also be an effective way to push alumni donors into the next giving tier. For example, an alumnus who typically gives $100 may be inspired to give $200 in response to a matching gift appealthereby increasing their giving level and the impact of their contribution. And thats before their employee even makes their match!
Heightened likelihood of match eligibility
Another reason why you want to incorporate matching gift appeals in your overall engagement strategy is that your alumni may be increasingly likely to qualify for such programs in the first place.
After all,泭young alumni, in particular, often work for companies that match employee gifts. Tens of thousands of businesses (including 65% of the Fortune 500) agree to match donations to nonprofits and educational institutions, with tech companies being one of the most involved sectors overall.
This presents a unique opportunity for institutions to engage with this demographic and inspire them to give by highlighting this additional incentive.
Maximized supporter impact + strengthened alumni relations
Matching gifts effectively double individual contributions, empowering alumni donors to make twice the impact on their alma mater. When this group sees their gifts being matched, they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that their contribution is making an even greater, tangible difference. This can lead to increased loyalty to the institution and a greater willingness to give in the future.
Expanded corporate giving revenue
One of the most apparent benefits of matching gift appeals is the additional corporate revenue contributed as a result. Impactful and actionable match appeals drive more matching gift requests to completion, ultimately leading to a significant increase in match revenue overall.
Not to mention, a well-built-out matching gift strategy can also open doors for泭broader corporate partnership opportunities. Companies that match gifts have already proven to be charitable-minded in nature. And targeting your donors employers is a great way to communicate shared values and audiences in your next sponsorship pitch.
How to Drive Alumni Engagement with Matching Gift Appeals
Whether you’re looking to launch an alumni matching gift campaign for the first time or are seeking to improve your existing efforts, were here to help. These fundamental steps will provide valuable insights and strategies to help your team maximize alumni engagement, giving, and more.
Identify potential match-eligible alumni.
One of the first things youll need to drive alumni engagement with matching gift appeals involves identifying those of your alumni that qualify for the corporate giving programs. And to do so, youll need to know which companies your alumni are working for.
Your school may already track this information in your CRM. But if not (or for those who you 餃棗紳t have post-education employment records for), there are a few ways you can uncover this detail. Not to mention, employment data can go out of date fairly quickly, so its important to continually refresh this information for your alumni and other supporters.
- Adding an optional employment field to your online donation form.
- Scanning contact information for corporate email domains.
- Leveraging a matching gift company search tool in post-transaction messaging (i.e., confirmation screens, follow-up emails, etc.).
- Employing a third-party泭data appends泭莽梗娶措勳釵梗.
Keep in mind that the benefits of alumni employment data go far beyond that of matching gift appeals, too! Understanding where graduates end up after leaving your school can also aid in personalizing communications, estimating wealth levels, and more.
Educate your audience about matching gifts.
Another important step is to educate your audience about matching gifts. Without incorporating strategic methods for increasing awareness of the programs, theres a significant knowledge gap regarding matching gifts. In fact, the aforementioned studies indicate that泭over 78% of individuals have never been informed about their companies matching gift programs.
The solution? Crafting a comprehensive plan for promoting the opportunity yourself.
Specifically, we recommend
- Mentioning matching gifts in all of your schools fundraising appeals.
- Establishing a dedicated matching gift web page泭on your school website泭(if you 餃棗紳t already have one), complete with matching gift details, your company search tool, and helpful contact information for your institution.
- Incorporating matching gift information directly泭within your donation experience泭(within your online giving forms, on the confirmation screens, etc.).
- Highlighting matching gift information (and relevant imagery) on your schools泭social media pages.
- Producing and sharing educational泭matching gift videos泭that overview the programs and how to get involved.
- 唬棗紳莽勳餃梗娶勳紳眶泭direct mail materials泭such as postcards, inserts, printed envelopes, and more for your most lucrative donors and prospects.
In all of your favorite channels, be sure to provide clear and concise information about how matching gifts workand how they can increase the impact of donations to your school. Once aware of the programs, alumni will be increasingly inspired to participate in their employers giving initiatives on your institutions behalf, ultimately driving completed matches through the roof.
Incorporate various matching gift appeals in your messaging.
Theres no one way to integrate matching gift appeals into your institutions fundraising strategy. The possibilities are endless, and we recommend exploring matching gifts as a key tenet of泭硃梭梭泭essential engagement activities.
For example, you may decide to implement matching gift promotions throughout the donor journey year-round. This can come in handy when looking to drive support for your general operating fund at any point, using matching gift appeals to encourage growth in individual giving and corporate funding alike.
However, many schools also choose to host a dedicated matching gifts campaign alongside their泭academic giving days泭to collect even more during that limited time span.泭(Note: several institutions have reported raising multiple times the cost of their matching gift software on their Giving Days aloneallowing them to see a return on their investment almost immediately.)
The good news is that its not an either/or question; in fact, the recommended answer is both. You can market matching gifts to your alumni and other donors 365 days a yearmade easy with the right technologyand institute an elevated push for matching at the time of a specific campaign. When it comes to matching gift outreach, the more, the merrier!
Best Practices for Effective Alumni-Centric Matching Gift Appeals
Bring your matching gift appeals to the next level! We recommend the following tried-and-true practices for streamlining the process while also amplifying alumni matching gift results.
Start with a well-crafted appeal template.
Your matching gift appeals should be well-written, concise, and compelling to graband retainthe attention of your alumni audience. Make sure to clearly explain what matching gifts are, the impact of employee donation-matching opportunities, and how corporate funding will be used to benefit your school.
You can jump right into it with the free matching gift templates . Just be sure to finetune and personalize these sample appeals to best fit your institutions needs, goals, and audiences.
Set clear and attainable goals.
Before launching your matching gift campaign, establish clear goals regarding matched gifts, total corporate funding, and more. We always recommend defining your objectives using the SMART frameworkor setting goals that are
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
For example, you might state that you aim to collect $5,000 worth of corporate matching gifts from alumni donors by the end of the fiscal year.
Be sure your development team is aware of and on board with your goals, and begin taking steps toward achieving them!
Make it easy for alumni to donate and request matches.
In order to drive the most gifts and matches to completion, its crucial that the associated processes are as quick and easy as possible.
Our recommendation? Make the most of intuitive donation toolssuch as these泭top education-focused platformsthat seamlessly integrate with powerful matching gift software.
This way, you can
- Collect employment details within your online giving forms;
- Automatically screen for match-eligible donations;
- Provide company-specific guidelines, instructions, and links to digital submission forms.
By guiding alumni donors through the matching gift process, youll reduce critical roadblocks and ultimately receive more fulfilled matches.
On the other hand, an experience that is primarily donor-led (i.e., asking alumni to get in touch with their HR department to locate their matching gift instructions) is likely to result in a ton of matches going unclaimed and corporate funding being left on the table.
Follow up and show appreciation.
Your matching gift donors are likely some of your schools most dedicated supporters. When alumni participate in these programs, its essential that you promptly acknowledge their above-and-beyond efforts for your institution.
Throughout the泭donor journey, there are a few fundamental phases in which gratitude should be incorporated. These include:
- After receiving an initial donation泭漍泭Thanks, [Donor]! Weve received your recent giftand its because of dedicated alumni like yourself that our school is able to be what it is today. Did you know that you might be able to double your impact with a corporate matching gift? Click here to learn more and submit your match request [link to matching gift page].
- After a match has been submitted泭漍泭Our records indicate that you requested a corporate matching gift from [company]. Thank you greatly for taking this next step to amplify your giving impact on our institution. Feel free to reach out if theres anything we can do to help complete the matching process with your employer.
- After a match has been received泭漍泭[Donor], we are writing today to inform you that weve received the completed match from your employer. Once again, we thank you for taking the extra steps to submit your matching gift. We truly appreciate your ongoing support to [school]. We couldnt do it without you!
Effectively communicating your gratitude throughout the process is a surefire way to reiterate the importance of donation-matching. And ultimately, it increases the likelihood that match-eligible alumni ultimately give and get their gifts matched time and time again.
Though corporate matches do not come directly from an individual donors wallet, remember that the additional funding would not be possible without their involvement.
Idea: to thank alumni for partaking in matching gift programs on your behalf!
Employ automation to increase efficiency.
Our final tip is one that can help boost the results of our other recommended practices as wellfrom increasing awareness of the programs to following up on eligible matches. And that is equipping your fundraising team with smart automation technology.
After all, launching a matching gifts campaign on your own can be overwhelming. But when you employ automation, you can do more for your school with less time and resources. Not to mention, leveraging a matching gift automation tool (like 勛圖窪蹋厙) grows matching gift revenue for nonprofits by an average of 61%!
And the time you save triggering automated matching gift appealswith just a click of a buttoncan be reallocated to other critical projects that benefit your school.
Example Schools with Successful Alumni Matching Gift Appeals
Establishing an effective matching gift appeal strategy that resonates with your alumni doesnt have to be difficult. Lets take a look at a few schools that implemented matching gift appeals and produced significant results.
Get inspired by these institutions fundraising effortsand take note of any tactics youd like to employ in your own.
Marietta College
Marietta College is an excellent example of a higher education institution that employs matching gift appeals successfully throughout its efforts.
To begin, check out this colleges dedicated matching gifts page:
Youll note that this page incorporates a brief summary of corporate matching gift programs, has embedded an easy-to-use company search tool for individuals to uncover eligibility information, and is easily accessible from the sites Giving Opportunities menu.
Marietta College has also crafted an alumni-specific web page designed to target previous students looking to give back to the school. And the site mentions matching gift opportunities here, as well!
Throughout their range of matching gift appeals, which included online giving forms, post-transaction emails, and more, in addition to the website content seen above, Marietta College produced standout results to be inspired by.
University of Georgia
Next, we have the University of Georgia, which also offers a robust matching gift strategy that aims to engage alumni donors and other school supporters alike.
This schools matching gift page employs 勛圖窪蹋厙s matching gift tool, allowing interested donors to quickly research their companies program guidelines. The University of Georgia also uses this page to promote a unique incentive for donors to get their gifts matcheddriving individual giving levels to qualify for the exclusive Presidents Club!
Additionally, the UGA team has consistently leveraged its social media platforms to raise awareness of matching gift opportunities. Check out these posts theyve shared on Twitter, Facebook, and more.
And, all in all, the university has seen some pretty substantial results!
Syracuse University
Similarly, Syracuse University also incorporates matching gift appeals in its alumni and overall donor engagement strategies. From its dedicated match page pictured below to its personalized and automated matching gift email communications, the Syracuse team works hard to ensure all supporters are exposed to information about matching gift programsand are encouraged to take the next steps.
In addition to its matching gifts page, Syracuse University has also created a free giving toolkit for alumni and other university donors interested in getting involved. This toolkit provides detailed information about online giving, contributing from donor-advised funds, beneficiary designations, and, of course, corporate matching gifts.
The bottom line is that Syracuse University has seen a lot of success with its matching gift appealsinspiring alumni and donor engagement, driving awareness of matching opportunities, and more.
Wrapping Up
Matching gift appeals can be a powerful tool for educational institutions seeking to increase alumni engagement and philanthropic support. By leveraging your alumnis generosity alongside that of companies matching contributions to your school, institutions like yours can encourage more significant levels of giving while also fostering a sense of community among graduates.
This type of strategic outreach can also serve as a smart way to reconnect with alumni who may have lost touch with their alma mater, providing them with a compelling reason to get involved once again. By making it easy for alumni to give back and amplify their support, academic fundraisers can help ensure continued success and maximized impact for years to come.
And theres no better time to incorporate matching gift appeals in your alumni engagement strategy than the present. Best of luck!
Looking to continue your education on matching gift topics to best position your school for corporate fundraising success? Check out these recommended resources:
- See even more examples of schools and organizations seeing significant matching gift fundraising success! Check out our complete collection of case studies to learn more.
- Matching Gifts & Higher Education: Companies That Match [+Tips]. Identify matching gift opportunities for your college or university. Explore this list of well-known companies that match gifts to higher ed, along with a few insightful practices to consider.
- 110+ Incredible School Fundraising Ideas to Raise Money Now. Amplify your broader fundraising strategies with this compilation of unique and impactful fundraisers. Plus, a lot of these tried-and-true ideas pair well with matching gifts to double your impact!
- Increase Matching Gift Awareness | Get Your Donors on Board. To get alumni on board with matching gift participation, they need to know that the opportunities exist. Check out these suggested methods to launch a matching gift awareness campaign at your school.
- Interested in learning more about matching gift appeals? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!
