Corporate Matching Gifts and Grants Can Double Your Nonprofit Fundraising Dollars

Matching gifts are a great way for your volunteersmatching funds to schools and arts and culture
and supporters to help your nonprofit organization. Iforganizations provided they are nonprofits and
they work for a company that has a matching giftrecognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of
program, their cash donation may be eligible to bethe Internal Revenue Code.
matched by their employer.The human resources department will give the
Most large corporations encourage volunteerism andemployee a form to submit to the nonprofit
charitable giving and are willing to match, dollar fororganization when the employee makes the
dollar, the amount of money that their employeesmonetary donation. An officer of the nonprofit will
donate to nonprofit organizations and charities. Somethen verify that they are a nonprofit organization and
employers will even match employee contributions tothe amount donated and then send the form to the
a greater degree.employer. The employer will then send a matching
There is paperwork involved and the employee whoamount of money to the nonprofit organization.
wants to make the donation must get the processSome larger corporations use a third party in this
started. The human resources department of theprocess to handle all the transactions. It can often be
corporation will have the information for thedone securely online as well.
employee. Every business will have its own policy onAlong with matching monetary donations, some
matching gifts. Sometimes these are also called "cashcorporations will match volunteer hours with a cash
grants" or "matching grants."amount. For example, a well-known coffee house will
The employer may have stipulations such as thedonate $10 for every qualified volunteer hour worked
minimum donation to be matched is $25.00 and theby their employees.
maximum is $1000.00 per employee each year orCorporate matching gifts are often overlooked by
other limits. It is up to the employer. The employersmaller nonprofit organizations as a way to receive
can match dollar per dollar or any amount theycash donations. However, it is definitely a fund-raising
specify. They may also specify what kind ofmethod that should be a part of any non-profit's
nonprofit organization is eligible for matching gifts. Forfundraising strategy.
example, a well-known media corporation, gives