Donations to colleges reached an all time high in 2014, with charitable contributions topping out at almost $38 billion. Alumni and other donors linked to universities enjoy giving back to the institution that helped shape them into the adults they are today. However, there are ways for colleges and universities to get more out of alumni without asking them to open their wallets twice. Colleges who promote matching gift programs can double or even triple the generous donations that they receive from alumni.
Let’s look at examples from five colleges and universities promoting matching gifts across their online fundraising:
Adrian College
Eckerd College
Texas A&M’s Aggie Network
The Cooper Union
University of Utah
Adrian College
Adrian College, located in Adrian, Michigan, is a private liberal arts college that was recently ranked as the #1 Midwest College by U.S. News and World Report. Donations to Adrian College can go toward athletics, academic programs, or general scholarships.
Adrian College promotes matching gifts on their:
Dedicated Matching Gift Page
Donation form with a screen overlay
Main dedicated matching gift page:
If alumni are looking for different ways to support their alma mater, Adrian College’s matching gift page offers helpful information to donors about making their donations go further. They let donors know that it might not just be their own employer that will match their donations; contributors can also solicit their spouses’ companies for matching donations or ask if a company they retired from will match their gift.
Adrian College then offers Double the Donation’s search tool to help donors check if their employers will match their donation.
Donation form:
Alumni and others who are ready to give to Adrian College can find more information about matching gift programs on the institution’s online donation form. In addition to the other options on the page, Adrian offers donors the chance to look into matching gift programs their employers provide.
When the link is clicked, there is a screen overlay with matching gift information. Users simply type in the name of the company they work for.
If their employer provides a matching gift program, the screen overlay displays important information such as:
Minimum or maximum donations that will be matched
Corporate contact information
Relevant matching gift forms
Other vital information
Eckerd College
Founded in 1958, Eckerd College is a private, liberal arts college located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Donors can mail in their donations, complete them over the phone, or donate online. Donations help pay for library books and laboratory equipment and also go toward scholarships.
Eckerd College promotes matching gifts on their:
Donation form with a link to a new window
Dedicated Matching Gift Page
Donation Form:
If alumni and other individuals choose to contribute through Eckerd College’s easy-to-use online donation form, they can find information about matching gifts in two separate places. Both the text link and the graphic in the sidebar take users to an informative dedicated matching gift page. The matching gifts section of the donation form itself then allows donors to indicate whether their donation will be matched by their employer or their spouses’ employers’ matching gift programs as well.
When either the text link or the graphic is clicked, a new window opens taking donors to the college’s dedicated matching gift page. This page tells donors that their spouses’ employers and even former employers could offer matching gift programs to make their donation go further.
Dedicated Matching Gift Page:
Eckerd College’s dedicated matching gift page also highlights the Double the Donation search tool for donors to use to research their employers’ gift matching programs offering helpful information and guidelines.
Texas A&M’s Aggie Network
Founded in 1876, Texas A&M University is the largest research university in Texas. Former Aggies who wish to make a donation can help fund alumni programs, career services, and scholarships and financial aid with their contributions and employers’ matching gifts.
Texas A&M’s Association of Former Students promotes matching gifts on their:
Donation form with a link to a new window
Dedicated Matching Gift Page
Donation Form:
When former Aggies want to make an online donation, Texas A&M gives them information about matching gift programs on the online donation form. If a donor already knows his or her employer’s matching gift ratio, he or she can simply enter it on the form. However, for donors who don’t know or are unsure, the donation page links them out to the Association of Former Students’ dedicated matching gift page where they can find more information about matching gifts.
Dedicated Matching Gift Page:
When donors click on the link, it takes them to a new window which has all the information a donor needs including:
Common questions and answers
Information on what donations are being used for
Contact information
Double the Donation’s search tool to look for matching gift programs
The Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly shortened to simply The Cooper Union, was established as a privately funded college in 1859 by Peter Cooper on the idea that education should be accessible and free to qualified students regardless of race, gender, wealth, or social status. Until 2014, the college granted each admitted student a full-tuition scholarship valued at approximately $150,000. Students who attended The Cooper Union can donate and help fund scholarships, events, and academic endeavors.
The Cooper Union promotes matching gifts on their:
Dedicated Matching Gift Page
Donation form with Double the Donation’s tool in an expandable matching gift section
Dedicated Matching Gift Page:
The Cooper Union’s matching gift page lets alumni and other donors know about matching gifts and gives them instructions on how to obtain a matching donation from their employer. The page also encourages donors to use Double the Donation’s search tool to look for more in-depth information about their employers’ matching gift programs. Additionally, the page offers vital contact information if donors have other questions.
Donation form:
For donors who are ready to give, The Cooper Union’s online donation form also offers information about matching gift programs that their employers may provide. At the bottom of the page, donors can open an expandable matching gift section.
When a user clicks on the expandable section, the Double the Donation search tool appears to help donors research more about their employers’ matching gift programs. Once a donor finds their company, they can find forms and other useful information to help their donation to The Cooper Union go even further.
University of Utah
The University of Utah is a space-grant research university based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Established in 1850, the University of Utah offers over 100 majors and is home to Utah’s only medical school. Former students and others who wish to give to the University of Utah help fund libraries, scholarships, academic projects, and athletic programs.
The university promotes matching gifts on their:
Ways to Give Page
Dedicated Matching Gift Page
In the donation process with a screen overlay
Ways to Give Page:
While the University of Utah offers its donors many ways to donate, they use the space on their Ways to Give page to promote corporate matching gift programs. Not only do they provide general information about matching gift programs, but they also give donors a link to Double the Donation’s search tool to learn more about their specific employer’s gift matching policies.
Matching Gift Page:
In addition to including matching gifts on the Ways to Give page, the University of Utah has a designated matching gift page. They give donors the same search tool that can be found on the Ways to Give page.
Donation process:
For donors who already know how they want to donate to the university, the donation page reminds them of matching gift programs. Donors are given the option to designate their contribution to a specific program or institute at the university and are also encouraged to look into matching gift programs by clicking on the link that opens to a screen overlay.
When a user clicks on the link it leads to a screen overlay:
The University of Utah uses Double the Donation’s search tool on their:
Ways to Give Page
Dedicated Matching Gift Page
Donation Page
Additional Matching Gift Marketing Resources:
The colleges and universities who have the most success incorporate matching gifts throughout their broader fundraising efforts.
While the above examples provide a few samples from a handful of colleges and universities, we encourage you to check out the following resources:
Download our Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts
View ideas and examples of how to promote matching gifts in the donation process
View ideas and examples of how to promote matching gifts across your communications
View ideas and examples of how to promote matching gifts across your website
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