Matching Gifts: Tap These Opportunities to Supercharge Your Year-End Fundraising
Unlocking Year-end Revenues with Board, Donor, and Foundation-Powered Matching Gift Campaigns
Matching gifts are like the secret menu at your favorite diner: if you know how to ask, you get twice the value for your order. For those running the fundraising show at nonprofits, matching gifts are an often underused lever that can make Giving Tuesday and the December 31 finish line not only reachable but fun.
Here’s an overview of how you can mobilize your best donors, board, and foundations to turn matching gifts from afterthought to headline act—fostering more giving, generating buzz, and supercharging your revenue when you need it most.
Why Matching Gifts Make Magic at Year-End
The year-end season is critical: nearly one-third of all giving happens in December, and over half of nonprofits land the majority of their annual revenue in the final days of the year. Crazy, isn’t it? It’s a nail-biter every year.
Matching gifts campaigns take the emotional “last chance to give” energy and add an undeniable kicker—donors see their gift instantly doubled (sometimes tripled), making them feel like superheroes with a wallet. They see their gift impact magnified.
It’s not just about the warm fuzzies but also the data: “84% of donors are more likely to donate if a match is offered,” and the average gift size leaps by over 50% when you mention matching gifts in an appeal, according to Double the Donation.
Matching campaigns come with an extra psychological bonus: social proof. As one industry guide puts it, “simply announcing that match money is available considerably increases the revenue per solicitation by nineteen percent,” and increases the chance that someone donates at all by 22%.
Matching gifts validate your organization—they say, “Others believe in this mission enough to offer a strong match gift. Won’t you join them?”
Closing the Gap: How Matching Gifts Power Your Final Push
Year-end fundraising targets can feel like the final battle of the year—one last, daunting challenge before the clock resets. Matching gifts don’t just sweeten the ask; they expand your toolbelt for reaching those goals.
Set clear targets tied to match offers and keep your audience updated on progress. Whether you’re stretching toward a Giving Tuesday mountain or the December 31 summit, matching dollars can provide the critical margin that puts you over the top.
Don’t forget: many match-eligible gifts expire at year-end, making now the perfect moment to reach out and urge your donors to act quickly. Leverage tax benefits, sense of timing, and the potential for every dollar to go further before year-end. Remind potential matching campaign participants, “Time’s almost up. Don’t miss your chance to be doubly impactful!”
Your closest foundation partners are also prospects for year-end match gifts and may be happy to give a $5,000-$10,000 match grant to incentivize other donors.
Board Members: From Bystanders to Matchmakers
Your board is more than a gallery of advisors—they’re your campaign’s power players. Board members, depending on your organization, are often positioned to give major gifts, plus they may have the networks and corporate connections you need for match funding.
Some companies offer even higher match limits if an employee serves on a nonprofit board. Take US Bank, for example, which triples the matching gift limit for board-serving employees. Board members can:
Provide their own stretch gifts as matches
Secure matches through their (or their employer’s) corporate giving programs
Tap their personal networks to “seed the pot” with match dollars
Engage your board now and make it personal: share stories about how matched gifts change outcomes, and ask them to share their own giving stories with peers or on social media.
Creative Approaches to Matching (Even When Things Are Weird)
Let’s be honest: This year feels a bit like “Survivor”—economic uncertainty, a challenging election, all kinds of stressful world events, the works. How do you make matching gifts feel joyful and urgent in the current climate?
Gamify It: Run a “double match challenge,” offer fun prizes, or put up a digital scoreboard that tracks progress toward unlocking match amounts.
Peer-to-Peer Power: Let donors and board members form teams or squads. “If Team Neighborhood raises $2,500, all their gifts are doubled!”
FOMO Marketing: Send reminder emails and post to social: “Don’t miss your chance—match unlocks end tonight!” Remember, urgency works. It’s simple human psychology.
Public Thank-Yous: Feature match donors in newsletters or thank-you videos, using language like “Community Champion” or “Mission Multiplier.”
Branded Swag: Offer matched-gift donors a special badge, digital sticker, or even quirky merch (hello, custom socks or tote bags) as an exclusive reward.
As Double the Donation puts it, “If you tell donors their gifts will be matched, you’re more likely to see a substantial increase in donor frequency and amount.” Or in the immortal words of Yoda: “Do or do not, there is no try.” Don’t let matching dollars go unclaimed.
Matching gifts aren’t just a year-end boost. They’re proof that, when generosity and strategy sync up, you don’t just meet your goals—you fly through them.
Now, get in gear, and good luck!