Nonprofit fundraisers have been conditioned to believe that securing donations is always an uphill battle. But what if we told you there’s $4-7 billion in free money sitting on the table every year, waiting to be claimed? That’s the reality of corporate matching gifts for nonprofits—a massive, underutilized revenue stream that most organizations are leaving behind.
In a recent episode of our Print to Pixel podcast, Dennis Kelly sat down with Colleen Carroll, Community and Events Lead at Double the Donation, to explore how nonprofits can tap into this goldmine. Her insights reveal why traditional thinking about corporate matching gifts is fundamentally flawed—and how smart organizations are rewriting the rules. Check out the full episode here: Claiming $7 Billion in Unclaimed Nonprofit Funds with Colleen Carroll #38 – Postalytics
The $7 Billion Problem Hiding in Plain Sight
Here’s a statistic that should make every nonprofit executive pause: Over 26 million individuals in the United States are eligible for workplace fundraising programs, yet billions in matching gift funds go unclaimed annually. We’re not talking about a few million dollars—we’re talking about $4-7 billion that companies have already budgeted to give to nonprofits.
“92% of multi-billion dollar companies have at least one kind of workplace giving program,” Carroll explains. “But 78% of eligible donors are simply unaware of the opportunity or don’t know the logistics for accessing the funds.”
This isn’t a supply problem—it’s an awareness and marketing problem. And that’s exactly where savvy nonprofits can gain a massive competitive advantage.
Why Corporate Matching Gifts for Nonprofits Remain Underutilized
The friction isn’t on the donor side—it’s on the communication side. Carroll identifies the core issue: “81% of companies don’t include matching gift information in an adequate spot.” Most employers bury these programs on page 356 of their employee handbook, leaving workers in the dark about free money they could be directing to their favorite causes.
But here’s where traditional nonprofit thinking gets it wrong: You can’t wait for employers to figure out their communication strategy. The organizations winning at corporate matching gifts for nonprofits are taking control of the conversation themselves.
“You can’t control what the company is doing,” Carroll notes. “But what you can control is how you are talking about it with your supporter base and your donors and your volunteers.”
The Modern Approach: Integration and Automation
Forward-thinking nonprofits are treating corporate matching gifts like any other digital marketing campaign. They’re embedding matching gift search tools directly into donation forms, automating follow-up email sequences, and tracking every interaction.
The most successful organizations Carroll works with don’t just set up the technology and forget about it. They build comprehensive omnichannel marketing campaigns around matching gifts, including:
- Direct mail campaigns featuring QR codes that lead directly to matching gift forms
- Targeted postcards sent before major giving events like Giving Tuesday
- Email sequences that follow up with donors who didn’t complete their matching gift process
- Social media campaigns promoting matching gift eligibility
- Text messaging campaigns directing supporters to matching gift landing pages
One particularly effective strategy Carroll highlighted: “We had one institution that did a postcard right before Giving Tuesday being like, ‘Hey, get excited, Giving Tuesday’s around the corner, check to see if you’re eligible to get your Giving Tuesday gift matched.'” The result? Significantly higher gift values due to employer matching.
The Psychology That Drives Results
The data reveals a powerful psychological trigger: 71% more donors respond to fundraising appeals that mention matching than those that don’t. Corporate matching gifts for nonprofits aren’t just about doubling donations—they’re about inspiring more people to give in the first place.
This makes sense when you think about it. Donors want to maximize their impact. When they know their $100 donation can become $200 through their employer’s matching program, it creates urgency and increases the perceived value of their contribution.
Direct Mail: The Unexpected Corporate Matching Gift Champion
While digital tools handle the heavy lifting of database management and form processing, direct mail emerges as a particularly effective channel for corporate matching gift campaigns. Consider the advantages:
- High visibility: A well-designed postcard with matching gift messaging can’t be buried in an inbox
- QR code integration: Modern direct mail can seamlessly bridge to digital matching gift tools
- Targeted precision: You can segment your mailing list by employer to create highly relevant messaging
- Tangible urgency: Physical mail creates a sense of importance that drives immediate action
The beauty of integrating direct mail into corporate matching gift strategies is that it follows the same principle Carroll advocates: taking control of the conversation rather than waiting for employers to communicate these programs effectively.
Getting Started: The Data-First Approach
The foundation of any successful corporate matching gifts program is data collection. “We can’t market to people effectively if we don’t know where they work,” Carroll emphasizes. This means:
- Use clean, standardized data collection tools to ensure consistency
- Always ask for employer information on donation forms
- Implement immediate confirmation messaging when donors complete their gift
- Create automated follow-up sequences for donors who don’t complete the matching process
The organizations seeing the biggest wins are those that treat corporate matching gifts as a comprehensive marketing campaign rather than a nice-to-have add-on.
The Collaborative Advantage
One of the most refreshing aspects of corporate matching gifts for nonprofits is that it’s fundamentally non-competitive. As Carroll puts it: “It’s in all of our best interests for these funds to be accessed.” When more nonprofits successfully claim matching gifts, it validates these programs and encourages companies to maintain or expand them.
This creates a unique opportunity for nonprofit marketers to share strategies and learn from each other without the typical competitive dynamics.
The Bottom Line: Free Money Requires Smart Marketing
Corporate matching gifts for nonprofits represent one of the largest untapped revenue streams in the sector. But accessing these funds requires abandoning outdated assumptions about donor communication and embracing modern, integrated marketing strategies.
The organizations that will win are those that treat matching gifts like any other sophisticated marketing campaign—with targeted messaging, multiple touchpoints, and relentless follow-up. Whether through direct mail, email, social media, or in-person events, the key is taking control of the conversation and making it impossible for eligible donors to miss the opportunity.
Listen to the full interview with Colleen Carroll on the Print to Pixel podcast, where marketing leaders share insights on how omnichannel marketing is revolutionizing direct mail and digital integration.
Ready to unlock corporate matching gifts for your nonprofit? Learn how Postalytics can help you create targeted direct mail campaigns that drive matching gift participation. Contact us to see how we’re making direct mail as measurable and automated as email marketing.
About the Author
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly is CEO and co-founder of Postalytics, the leading direct mail automation platform for marketers to build, deploy and manage direct mail marketing campaigns. Postalytics is Dennis’ 6th startup. He has been involved in starting and growing early-stage technology ventures for over 30 years and has held senior management roles at a diverse set of large technology firms including Computer Associates, Palm Inc. and Achieve Healthcare Information Systems.