It’s a staggering reality: every year, nonprofits leave an estimated $7 billion in matching gift funds unclaimed. For fundraising professionals, especially those well-versed in corporate matching gift programs, this statistic is not just a missed opportunity; it is a mandate for action.
If you already understand the immense value of corporate matching gifts and want to drive even greater results, refining your digital strategy is a must. In this post, you will learn how to:
- Build an optimized matching gifts landing page that serves as a helpful resource.
- Use intelligent personalization to make every donor feel seen and motivated.
- Integrate powerful automation tools that streamline the matching process.
- Deploy targeted calls-to-action (CTAs) at critical touchpoints.
- Track, test, and optimize your matching gift marketing for continuous improvement.
Marketing matching gifts effectively on your website is more than mentioning the opportunity in an offhanded way. It’s about crafting donor journeys that inform, inspire, and remove barriers to action.
So, how do you eliminate confusion, increase submission rates, and empower donors every step of the way? The answer lies in advanced website practices that place matching gifts at the core of your digital fundraising efforts.
Let’s dive deep into actionable strategies to elevate your matching gift results and create more value for your mission.
Build a High-Performance Matching Gifts Landing Page
A dedicated, expertly crafted matching gifts landing page is one of the most effective ways to drive engagement and action. Rather than burying information about matching gifts in FAQs or on donation receipts, make it the focal point of your website’s giving resources.
Structure for Conversion and Visibility
Start by optimizing the landing page structure:
- Use a clear, concise headline with the keyword “Matching gifts” to optimize for SEO.
- Write a meta description explaining what donors can achieve with matching gifts.
- Organize the page with logical, scannable sections, such as: “What are Matching Gifts?”, “How Do They Work?”, “Is My Employer Eligible?”, and “Double Your Impact Today.”
- Place a direct call to action above the fold, such as “Check If Your Employer Matches Donations.”
For inspiration, check out the Save the Children matching gift webpage. Their approach balances compelling mission messaging, a user-friendly layout, and clear next steps, setting the stage for stronger engagement.
Add a User-Friendly Employer Search Tool
A central component of high-impact matching gift landing pages is a searchable employer database. Therefore, it’s important to:
- Embed an intuitive matching gift search tool so donors can instantly check if their employer participates in matching gift programs.
- Use a search bar with auto-complete to reduce user errors and common misspellings.
- Include a straightforward, visual explanation of what happens after donors find their employer: for example, “1. Make a gift, 2. Complete the employer form, 3. Your gift is matched.”
Atlanta Mission demonstrates the impact of effective design by featuring a bold graphic that makes the value and process of matching gifts clear and approachable.
Showcase Impact Through Storytelling
Donors are moved by stories and tangible outcomes. In order to increase matching gift participation, consider these best practices:
- Share statistics and quick facts about how matching gifts help achieve your mission.
- Display testimonials or brief narratives from real donors who doubled their impact.
- Use visuals, such as progress bars or photos of beneficiaries, to reinforce the difference a matched gift makes.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital does this well by explaining to donors how each matched dollar translates into real mission outcomes, from meals for patients to travel for families. This increases the likelihood that match-eligible donors ultimately take steps to request their matches.
Provide Comprehensive FAQs and Support
Anticipate and answer donor questions up front. To do so, create a robust FAQ section that answers: Who is eligible? How long after donating can I request a match? What if I lose my employer’s form?
From there, you’ll also want to address tax considerations and highlight any special rules or deadlines. With this foundation, your landing page becomes a trusted hub, reducing confusion and increasing donor confidence.
Leverage Smart Personalization for Maximum Donor Engagement
Today’s donors expect highly relevant digital experiences. By tailoring your matching gift content to each visitor, you increase the likelihood that donors will take the next step.
Segment Donors with CRM and Employer Data
When built right, your tech stack can transform generic outreach into laser-targeted interactions.
- Regularly use your CRM and matching gift solution to identify known and likely eligible donors based on employer information.
- Tag donor records to differentiate between those who have already taken advantage of matching gifts, those who are eligible, and new prospects.
Tools like Double the Donation, integrated with leading CRM and fundraising systems, make it simple to automate this segmentation.
Deliver Dynamic, Contextual Messaging
Dynamic web content adapts to the user’s context, increasing engagement overall. In order to do so, consider:
- Showing employer-specific banners when a donor visits your site, e.g., “Employees of [Company] can double their support today.”
- Adjusting CTAs based on donor history, such as “You’re a monthly giver; double your annual impact with a match.”
- Personalizing confirmation pages and email receipts to include immediate next steps tailored to the donor’s employer.
Intuitive CMS platforms can help you build these dynamic content blocks, or you can use the built-in customization features present in your donation platform and/or matching gift integration.
Use Geo-Targeting and On-Site Prompts
Tailoring prompts by location and behavior reduces friction and increases relevance. For example, you might:
- Highlight matches from large employers in the donor’s area.
- Use cookies or user profiles to remind returning visitors about incomplete match submissions with timely pop-ups or banners.
- For regional campaigns, showcase stories or results from local donors who utilized matching gifts.
Working with your IT team or website vendor directly enables you to activate local highlights and browser-based reminders within your CMS.
Automate Smart Follow-Ups
Personalized follow-up is powerful for donors who start but do not complete the matching gift process. In order to implement this strategy, try to:
- Set up automated, personalized emails reminding donors about their pending submissions, with clear links and instructions.
- Use on-site dialogs or banners that link back to where previous users left off in the process. These nudges are proven to boost completion rates.
By making every step feel personal and relevant, you guide more donors across the finish line.
Integrate Automated Matching Gift Tools Seamlessly
Friction is the enemy of effective matching gift marketing campaigns. However, automation can bridge the gap between donor intent and action, reducing drop-off and building trust through consistency.
Choose the Right Matching Gift Automation Platform
Evaluate solutions based on integration, coverage, and customization:
- Select automation tools that integrate natively with your CRM and donation platform. Popular options include Double the Donation, 360MatchPro, HEPdata, and more.
- Confirm that the employer database is comprehensive and regularly updated to avoid missed opportunities.
- Ensure you can customize the matching gift tool with your branding, colors, and voice.
When researching platforms, look for case studies or matching gift strategy guides to see what has worked for similar organizations.
Embed Action Steps Into the Donation Flow
Help donors act without navigating away:
- Add the employer search tool before or immediately after donation, within the donation form or thank-you page.
- Display employer-specific instructions, links, or forms instantly upon gift completion.
- Integrate dynamic content into donation receipts that guide donors in completing their matches.
The best examples, like those seen with organizations using native integrations, show direct prompts and simple forms that keep donors moving forward. Here’s an example from Blue Faery!
Maintain a Consistent User Experience
Consistency builds trust and reduces confusion. Therefore, it’s important that you:
- Match the design of your matching gift widgets to the rest of your website.
- Simplify instructions, eliminate unnecessary steps, and provide support contact options.
- Test the process regularly as a donor would, watching for points where the experience feels disconnected or unclear.
From there, it’s a good idea to collaborate with your developer or web design team to fine-tune the process based on real user feedback.
Automate Reminders and Status Updates
Follow through with proactive communication, keeping donors engaged from start to finish.
- Set automated email or text reminders for incomplete match submissions, with personalized company information and step-by-step instructions.
- When possible, notify donors once a match is received or processed. Express gratitude and show real-time impact with updated donor stories or visuals.
- Automate these communications using your CRM or matching gift automation platform, ensuring every donor stays in the loop.
A strong automation ecosystem ensures that no opportunity is missed and positions your team as proactive and responsive. With automation in place, capturing donor attention with targeted CTAs becomes even more important.
Deploy Strategic Calls-to-Action Across Your Website
Well-placed calls to action are crucial for guiding donors to the next step in the matching gifts process. Effective CTAs create numerous, seamless entry points for donors at every stage of their engagement.
Audit and Target Your Highest-Traffic Pages
Start by identifying where to place your CTAs for maximum return:
- Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to locate your most-visited pages, including “Ways to Give,” event registrations, volunteer sign-ups, blog posts, and donor stories.
- Map out potential entry points on each page where a donor might be inspired to engage with matching gifts.
- On each relevant page, add a tailored CTA such as “Multiply your impact; check your eligibility here.”
For example, the Atlanta Humane Society effectively places matching gift prompts across its giving and volunteer pages, ensuring visitors can’t miss the opportunity. Here’s a look at their website below:
Craft Clear, Compelling Messaging
The language of your CTAs matters. Therefore, keep these tips and tricks in mind:
- Use action verbs and benefits: “Double your donation today” or “Maximize your gift instantly.”
- Inject urgency where it fits, for example, “Make your gift count twice before the end of the year.”
- Mention employer partners when appropriate to boost relevancy, such as “Are you a [Local Employer] employee? Your gift can go further.”
- Test different messages and formats to see which performs best for your audience.
Diversify CTA Formats for Users
Different visitors respond to different formats. For the best results, consider these ideas:
- Use sticky bars at the top or bottom of high-traffic pages, keeping the opportunity visible without interrupting their experience.
- Place inline banners or callout boxes within relevant content, such as next to donor testimonials or event details.
- Enable pop-up reminders for users returning to incomplete match actions or after major campaigns.
Varying the format not only captures different segments of your web audience but also prevents donor fatigue from repetitive prompts.
Connect Each CTA to an Immediate Action
Simplicity is critical in guiding donors. For this reason, you’ll want to ensure every CTA leads directly to your matching gifts landing page, employer search tool, or a pre-filled submission form. In doing so, you can reduce the number of additional clicks and steps by bringing donors directly to the action phase: checking eligibility, submitting forms, or contacting support if they hit a snag.
By linking each CTA directly to the next logical step, you maintain donor momentum and minimize fundraising drop-off.
Track, Test, and Optimize Your Matching Gift Campaigns
The key to sustainable matching gift success is continuous improvement fueled by real data. An ongoing process of tracking, testing, and optimization ensures that your matching gift marketing tactics continue to get stronger.
Set Up Detailed Analytics and Event Tracking
The first step is measurement. Use Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, or your website backend to track every important action, including employer search queries, form submissions, CTA clicks, and drop-offs. From there, you can define conversion goals, such as the percentage of eligible donors who start and complete the match process.
Then, schedule regular dashboard reviews to spot trends, bottlenecks, and new opportunities. Meet with your analytics or web team to ensure all critical touchpoints are monitored.
Run A/B Tests and Experiment Regularly
Even minor adjustments can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Therefore:
- Test variations of your matching gift landing page, including different headlines, images, and CTA positions.
- Switch up call-to-action text, color schemes, or placements to see which combinations yield the highest engagement.
- Try different timings and content in reminder emails to find the best cadence for follow-ups.
You can even integrate testing tools like Google Optimize or use features within your content management system to roll out and evaluate changes.
Analyze the Matching Gift Conversion Funnel
Map the journey and optimize it step by step. As you analyze the matching gift conversion funnel, be sure to chart every stage a donor goes through, from viewing the landing page to submitting a match request. This will allow you to identify friction points where donors hesitate or abandon the process and address them with targeted improvements, such as clarifying steps, adding support FAQs, or streamlining forms.
Iterate and Scale Winning Approaches
Matching gift optimization is never complete. There’s always something you could be doing better! As you continue to develop your matching gift website strategy, it’s a good idea to:
- Hold monthly or quarterly reviews with your team to assess progress, implement quick wins, and plan further improvements.
- Share test results and best practices across development, fundraising, and marketing to keep everyone aligned.
- Expand what works, de-prioritize what does not, and always be open to donor feedback for future enhancements.
By creating a culture of continuous optimization, you will stay ahead of trends and ensure lasting growth for your matching gifts strategy.
Conclusion
Elevating your matching gift marketing approach requires more than scattered mentions and manual reminders. By building a user-focused landing page, layering personalization and automation, placing well-crafted CTAs, and committing to ongoing optimization, you create an environment where donors feel informed, empowered, and motivated to maximize their impact.
Every step in this guide is designed for experienced fundraising professionals ready to break through and set a new standard for corporate philanthropy results. Identify where your organization can improve, implement one or two advanced strategies in the coming quarter, and let the data guide your next moves.
Remember, each matched gift is not just a doubled donation; it is a testament to your team’s commitment to making every supporter’s impact count. Now is the time to transform untouched potential into measurable success.
Interested in seeing how other organizations are integrating matching gifts into their website strategies? Download Double the Donation’s free case study compilation to hear from leading nonprofits and schools.