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Humanitarian Aid4 min read

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Matching Gifts 101: What are they and why are they so important?

Megan Stoia
Feb 23, 2023

 

If you’re anything like me, it’s hard not to jump on a good deal.

Whether I’m getting groceries, filling up at a gas station, or looking for new shoes, nothing draws me in like a great sale!

But did you know you can apply the same mentality when donating to a charitable organization?

If you want to maximize the impact of every dollar you give, you won’t want to miss the chance to take advantage of a matching gift!

Give help and hope to children like them
Your generosity can help give clean water to families in Africa

What is a matching gift?

A matching gift is the easiest way to double your impact! But how does it work?

First, a nonprofit organization like World Help will receive a matching gift from a generous donor or grant — let’s go with $150,000 for this example.

Next, they’ll establish a fundraising deadline — we’ll make it March 31.

The donor agrees to match every dollar up to a certain amount raised by the deadline … and that’s where you come in! When you donate before the March 31 deadline, you’ll become part of a 1:1 match ratio.

That means for every $1 you give, the matching gift donor will also donate $1. Another way to look at it is that your gift is being DOUBLED.

If enough individual donors like you come together and raise $150,000, then the total amount raised would be an incredible $300,000! That’s enough to provide help and hope to 25,000 people.

What happens if the gift isn’t met?

When a matching gift goal from a grant or individual donor isn’t met, one of two things can happen:

1. They give the total amount they committed even if the goal wasn’t met.

2. They only match what was fundraised. They may save the rest for a future matching gift, or they may not.

That’s why taking full advantage of the chance to double your impact is so important — if the matching gift amount isn’t met, there’s a chance money will be left on the table.

After the campaign, we will always reach out to the original donor and let them know how everything went. If the match wasn’t reached, that’s when they’ll decide what to do with the rest of their gift!

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Will you help young girls in Guatemala chase after their dreams?

What is a corporate matching gift?

Even if you miss the deadline for a matching gift the organization shares about, you may still be able to have your donations doubled at any time of the year thanks to your employer!

It’s called corporate-matched giving.

Companies like Apple, Microsoft, Disney, and more partner with their employees to make a difference and encourage charitable giving by matching donations employees make to nonprofit organizations.

It’s basically free money!

For example, Microsoft offers a $15,000 matching gift for each employee to use. Every time an employee gives to an eligible organization, their donation will be doubled up to $15,000.

And it’s not just the giant companies that participate in corporate-matched giving either. You can check to see if your employer offers a match by using our online search tool.

Give help and hope worldwide
Your giving makes a global impact … from Kenya to Ukraine and everywhere in between!

Does World Help have any major matching gifts right now?

I’m so glad you asked.

Remember that $150,000 matching gift example from earlier? That wasn’t just a made-up scenario.

March 31 marks the end of our fiscal year — and without your help, we may experience a revenue shortfall. That means we won’t be able to provide physical and spiritual help to everyone we’d hoped to this year.

The good news is that generous donors who are praying and believing that we can end this financial year strong have committed to match your gifts up to $150,000.

Your gift will provide twice as much HELP and HOPE like emergency food, clean water, warm clothing, medical care, God’s Word, and other life-changing essentials to people in need worldwide.

Please, don’t let a single dollar go unmatched. You have the potential to help impact 25,000 lives when you donate by March 31.

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