Corporate matching gift programs are an opportunity for nonprofits to earn more revenue without straining their donors’ budgets. Historically, however, eligible donors have faced roadblocks that keep them from taking part in these initiatives. Fortunately, matching gift auto-submission is here to streamline the matching gifts process and deliver fast, reliable results.

In this guide, we’ll cover just about everything a nonprofit, donor, or corporation needs to know about auto-submission functionality and how it can bring matching gifts to the next level. This includes:

• The Basics of Matching Gift Submissions
• What You Should Know: Auto-Submission FAQ
• Top CSR Platforms With (& Without) Matching Gift Auto-Submission
• The Future of Matching Gift Auto-Submission
• How to Begin Leveraging Auto-Submission with Double the Donation

As a key component of many companies’ workplace giving initiatives, matching gifts incentivize employees to make donations by giving them the opportunity to have their contributions matched by their employer. 

As a result, nonprofits see elevated funding through diversified revenue streams, companies reap the benefits of engaged team members and an improved brand reputation, and donors get their gifts stretched further to support a mission they care about.

And the process typically kicks off with a matching gift request; which is where we’ll begin as well.

The Basics of Matching Gift Submissions

When a donor wants to secure a matching donation from their employer, they’re traditionally required to formally request the match by completing an established application process unique to their employer. In this process, donors may be prompted to submit their request directly to their employer or through an online corporate giving portal.

From there, donors will generally be asked to provide basic information regarding their gift, the organization they’ve given to, and their status at the company. These questions allow companies to determine whether the donation is legitimate and qualifies for a match.

Although match criteria vary from company to company, these are some common components requested by most employers during the matching gift submission process:

Regarding the receiving organization;

• Nonprofit name
• Mailing address
• Tax ID number (EIN)
• Mission type (educational, human services, religious, etc.)

Regarding the individual donor;

• Name
• Email address
• Employee ID number

Regarding the initial donation;

• Payment type
• Donation amount
• Gift currency
• Date of payment
• Copy of donation receipt

Once the employer has the information it needs, the team in charge of the program can review the request, verify the gift with the nonprofit if needed, and ultimately approve and disburse match funding.

However, the above-outlined process has long been a pain point for donors, nonprofits, and matching companies alike. When the process is too lengthy and requires excessive effort, donors are likely to give up. As a result, nonprofits do not receive the match funding they qualify for, and companies do not reap the maximum benefits of the matching programs they put in place.

Enter⁠ matching gift auto-submission.

We’ll walk through a detailed overview of auto-submission functionality later on, but the basis of this innovative tool is this: matching gift auto-submission empowers donors to request their corporate matches directly from their favorite nonprofits’ donation confirmation pages. No more long, drawn-out, separate processes or requests for repetitive information⁠. Just immediate matching gift requests with the click of a single button and a form of user verification.

What You Should Know: Auto-Submission FAQ

Auto-submission is a fairly recent development in the matching gifts game, so it’s possible (and probable) that you have a few questions. We’ve gone ahead and answered some of the most common inquiries regarding this trend-setting functionality.

What is auto-submission?

Matching gift auto-submission streamlines and simplifies the matching gift process to enable more donors to get their gifts matched with ease. This new-and-improved experience connects donors, nonprofits, and corporations to ensure each party benefits from matching gifts to their fullest extent.

What are the benefits of matching gift auto-submission?

Matching gift auto-submission functionality offers substantial advantages for corporations, nonprofits, and donors alike. Specifically, these benefits include:

• Companies: Companies that establish matching gift programs and offer auto-submission see elevated participation rates thanks to the streamlined process. As a result, the companies earn increased employee engagement levels, improved brand reputation, and more.
• Nonprofits: When a nonprofit’s donors submit matching gift requests, the organization receives extra funding from their supporters’ employers. With auto-submission, more donors complete the match request process, meaning more corporate funding and increased donor engagement. After all, if donors know their gifts will go further through matching opportunities, they’re likely to give more.
• Donors: The more streamlined the matching gift application process, the easier it is for employees to get involved. Previously, donors had to locate their employers’ eligibility criteria, navigate to their online CSR management portals, and fill out a new form asking for much of the same information they already provided during the initial donation process. Now, they don’t even have to leave the nonprofit’s website after their donation, and the process can be completed in just a few seconds.

Overall, auto-submission makes the entire match request process easier for everyone involved, from the initial donation to approval and funds distribution. 

Why does auto-submission functionality matter?

Over $4 to $7 billion in available matching gift funding goes unclaimed every year, largely because qualifying donors do not submit matching gift requests.

There are a few key reasons for this, which range from:

• Donors not knowing about matching gifts in general.
• Donors knowing about matching gifts but not how to participate in their employer’s program.
• Donors knowing how but choosing not to complete the matching gift process, often due to its complexity or the added hassle. 

In each case, auto-submission can help drive more matches.

The easier it is for donors to participate in gift matching, the more likely they are to do so⁠, meaning more match funding for qualifying organizations and more positive giving experiences for supporters. 

How does matching gift auto-submission work?

Auto-submission enables donors to complete their matching gift request processes directly from a nonprofit’s website. 

When eligible donors are offered auto-submission functionality, all they need to do to participate is provide their corporate email address. Then the technology takes it from there! To complete their requests, they don’t have to worry about researching program guidelines to determine their eligibility for matches, nor do they have to provide redundant information to fill out numerous forms.

In comparison to the standard matching gift application process, auto-submission allows donors to complete their requests in just three steps:

• An eligible employee makes a donation. Employees donate to nonprofits like they normally would. If the nonprofit has matching gift software, they will move on to the next steps. If not, the employee will need to proceed with their employer’s usual matching gift request process. 

• The employee provides their employer’s name or enters their corporate email address. During the donation process, employees can either use their work email addresses to be paired with their employer automatically or use the nonprofit’s matching gift search tool to find their employer if they prefer to use their personal email. With either approach, employees will be shown their employer’s matching gift guidelines, including if they are eligible for auto-submission. 

• The matching gift request is processed. The employee just needs to confirm their decision to use auto-submission by checking a box, and their match request will be completed and sent to their employer for them. 

In summary, auto-submission reduces the number of forms donors need to complete and encourages them to submit a matching gift request immediately after donating, greatly increasing the number of donations that get matched. 

But what’s the technology behind auto-submission? Top matching gift software provider, Double the Donation, partners with both nonprofits’ online donation tools and companies’ CSR platforms to process requests behind the scenes and minimize the steps donors must take. For a more thorough overview of this technology, check out this video from Double the Donation:

Who is eligible to participate in matching gift auto-submission?

Because auto-submission is still new when it comes to matching gift requests, not all donors currently qualify. At this time, a few criteria need to be met to enable auto-submission:

• The individual donor must work for a company that uses a CSR management platform from a vendor partnered with Double the Donation.
• The nonprofit receiving the donation must use Double the Donation’s matching gift tools.

Keep in mind that as auto-submission continues to grow in availability, more and more individuals will be able to benefit from it and get their gifts matched with a single click.

How do you know which CSR vendors offer auto-submission?

In order to clarify which employers and matching gift platforms offer auto-submission, Double the Donation has begun to award “CLMA Certification” to qualifying companies. Those who do supply auto-submission functionality are deemed Certified Leaders in Matching Automation, illustrating these providers’ commitment to a seamless and user-friendly matching gift experience.

Keep an eye out for the following badge indicating CLMA certification!

Top CSR Platforms With (& Without) Matching Gift Auto-Submission

Many companies use CSR software to manage their workplace giving and other corporate philanthropy initiatives. It’s through these platforms, made possible by an integration with our very own Double the Donation Matching, that matching gift auto-submission is available. However, not all CSR platforms have auto-submission functionality.

Let’s take a look at some of the top corporate giving platforms⁠ and whether or not they enable auto-submission of matching gift requests:

Givinga

Givinga offers corporate social responsibility solutions for companies looking to scale up their giving programs with an intuitive, easy-to-use platform. This “Philantech” software provider makes matching gifts, facilitating corporate volunteerism, and more accessible for employers of all shapes, sizes, and sectors. It’s also a breakthrough leader in auto-submission technology through a partnership with Double the Donation, making matching gifts quick and easy for participants. Learn more about Givinga’s auto-submission with Double the Donation!

Millie

Millie provides corporate giving technology to companies looking to drive their social impact through employee participation. This includes matching gifts, volunteer grants, charitable gift cards, and more. And they work to make it as easy as possible for team members to get involved⁠—hence, new auto-submission functionality. Now, employee donors can submit match requests by entering their corporate email addresses on nonprofit confirmation pages and verifying them via a quick email follow-up. Learn more about Millie’s auto-submission with Double the Donation!

POINT

POINT is a volunteering app that aims to simplify nonprofit partnerships for charitable organizations, donors, and corporations. The platform has expanded into corporate philanthropy program management, offering solutions for corporate volunteering, dollars for doers grants, matching gifts, and more. Particularly noteworthy, POINT’s matching gift software allows for auto-submission functionality through a technical integration with Double the Donation Matching. Learn more about POINT’s auto-submission with Double the Donation!

Selflessly

Offers innovative and intuitive corporate giving software for businesses to amplify their social impact. When it comes to matching employee gifts, they partner with Double the Donation to enable auto-submission. Employees who work for companies that use Selflessly can request their gift matches in seconds just by entering their corporate email address when donating. Learn more about Selflessly’s auto-submission with Double the Donation!

America’s Charities

America’s Charities is a popular nonprofit workplace giving platform that provides matching gifts, volunteering, and other employee engagement solutions. They work with businesses of all shapes and sizes to enable employers to make a positive impact on their communities. America’s Charities does not currently offer matching gift auto-submission functionality.

Benevity

Benevity describes itself as powering purpose-driven businesses and provides some of the largest brands with the tools they need to facilitate and manage their corporate philanthropy programs. Benevity prioritizes corporate purpose, employee and customer engagement, and community investment. Benevity does not currently offer matching gift auto-submission functionality.

Bright Funds

Bright Funds, a part of WizeHive, focuses on workplace philanthropy and its benefits to employees, companies, and nonprofits. This provider offers innovative solutions for giving and matching, volunteering, grants management, and more. Bright Funds does not currently offer matching gift auto-submission functionality.

SmartSimple

SmartSimple is designed for businesses looking to partake in end-to-end giving and CSR initiatives. With employee giving, volunteer management, matching gifts, grant management, in-kind giving, employee assistance funds, and more, SmartSimple encourages and enables corporate leaders to make a difference. SmartSimple does not currently offer matching gift auto-submission functionality.

YourCause

YourCause by Blackbaud is a top social responsibility technology company that empowers its corporate clients with employee giving, employee volunteering, and global engagement. Its two software solutions, CSRconnect and GrantsConnect, make giving back simple and impactful for companies. YourCause does not currently offer matching gift auto-submission functionality.

As auto-submission continues to grow in prevalence, keep these names in mind, as many vendors may expand their platforms’ features soon!

The Future of Matching Gift Auto-Submission

Matching gift auto-submission is a cutting-edge technology, and we expect that more and more companies will roll out the offering in the near future.

As a growing number of corporate giving platforms partner with Double the Donation to create Double the Donation Matching integrations, auto-submission becomes possible for an increasing number of employees. 

As more donors become eligible for matching gift auto-submission, critical roadblocks are removed, driving more corporate gift matches to completion⁠, which benefits the donors, nonprofits, and corporations involved in the arrangement.

How to Begin Leveraging Auto-Submission with Double the Donation

Matching gift auto-submission sounds great, right? Are you interested in getting started with this innovative functionality? Here’s what you can do:

If you’re a nonprofit…

For nonprofits, schools, universities, and other charitable organizations looking to reap the benefits of matching gift auto-submission, it’s quick and easy to get started. All you have to do is invest in Double the Donation’s matching gift automation service⁠: Double the Donation Matching.

Once you get your account set up, you’ll be prompted to add Double the Donation’s tools to your online donation process through an interactive search field that collects employment information during the giving process and an automatically populating confirmation page widget that provides an overview of eligibility criteria and next steps. When auto-submission is made available through a donor’s company, qualifying supporters will be provided with the opportunity to use it directly from your nonprofit website.