Does Your Company Match Gifts to Nonprofits?

What is a matching gift program?

Companies of all sizes are ready to match your donation to your favorite nonprofit organization. A matching gift program is one of the many ways a company supports an employee and their passion for helping the community. By matching the employee’s monetary gift to a nonprofit, companies that participate in matching gifts amplify the impact by doubling or even tripling the amount. Often, a company will also send a monetary donation to match the number of hours their employees volunteer. All you have to do is ask!

 

Your company can help!

Two out of three companies involved in a matching gift program will gladly match donations to nonprofit organizations like Genesis Women’s Shelter, while the remaining third have a designated few that align with the company’s specific mission. However, less than 10% of employees participate in these programs, which results in approximately $6 – $10 billion in matching gift funds that are unused every year. Let’s change that!

 

Will your company match? Just ask!

To find out if donations will be matched, reach out to your company’s charitable giving or community outreach department. If your company is on the smaller side and does not have a designated department, simply ask your supervisor or human resource representative. If answers are still not easily found, ask us! We’re happy to help and love making connections with businesses to inquire about their charitable giving methods as well as share additional opportunities we have here at Genesis.

 

Why should your company care about matching funds to Genesis?

Genesis Women’s Shelter exists to provide safety, shelter and support to more than 2,500 women and children each year as they escape the horrors of domestic violence. One in four women nationally will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, but we know that domestic violence is not a private matter that unfolds behind closed doors. Many women who are in abusive relationships are also working women. If a victim does not lose her job due to the inescapable effects of domestic violence, she will certainly experience problems at work –  96% of victims encounter issues in the workforce due to abuse, and 32,000 full time jobs are lost every year. This adds up to an impact of $8.3 billion and 8 million paid work days lost due to abuse each year in corporate America. This creates more work and expenses for the employer, and no employer is exempt. Every employer has or will encounter an employee who is experiencing domestic violence, but with your help, we can decrease these statistics and be known as a go-to resource for your company and coworkers.

 

Ready to ask?

If you are still a little unsure about how to ask for your employer’s support, we’re happy to help. Here, you will find a donation request letter which you can easily personalize and address to your company. Should your employer have any questions about Genesis, we’ll be ready!

 

 

Written by Amy Norton, director of special events, and Julia Palmer, director of corporate & foundation relations.