Key Statistics and Trends in Matching Challenges and Challenge Grants

Challenge matches have emerged as some of the most effective tools in nonprofit fundraising. Whether you’re seeking to engage donors, increase average gift size, or close year-end gaps, these initiatives deliver measurable results. In this article, we’ll share the most recent challenge grant statistics and trends, backed by research and industry data, that show why these tools should be central to your fundraising strategy.

What Are Challenge Grants and Matching Challenges?

Challenge grants are fundraising offers where a donor agrees to match donations made by other supporters, often up to a certain amount. These grants are designed to encourage additional donations by creating a sense of urgency, motivating donors to give so their gift can be matched.

Matching challenges take this concept one step further by setting specific fundraising goals or deadlines (often during high-traffic periods like Giving Tuesday or year-end). These challenges often lead to higher levels of engagement and dramatically increase the funds raised.

Key Challenge Match Statistics for 2025

1. 100% of top peer-to-peer fundraising organizations use some form of matching challenge.

Source: Double the Donation

The vast majority of leading nonprofit organizations leverage the power of matching challenges to increase donor participation. This universal acceptance of matching gift strategies highlights their proven effectiveness for motivating action and generosity.

2. Campaigns with matching components raise 3–5x more than those without.

Source: Philanthropy News Digest

Recent studies show that adding a match component can increase the total amount raised during a campaign by up to five times. Donors’ feel a sense of urgency when they know their contributions will be doubled or tripled.

3. 100% of nonprofit surveyed increased their fundraising through challenge matches.

Source: Double the Donation

Campaigns featuring challenge matches and grants consistently outperform those without. Studies consistently demonstrate that campaigns with matching components outperform those without.

4. 84% of donors say a match increases their likelihood to donate.

Source: The Big Give

According to a survey by The Big Give, a significant 84% of donors report that they are more likely to contribute when they know their gift will be matched. In fact, 36% of donors said they would not have donated at all if it weren’t for the match.

58% of surveyed nonprofits use email as their primary matching challenge promotional channel.

5. 58% of surveyed nonprofits say email campaigns are their primary channel for promoting challenge matches.

Source: Double the Donation

Email remains the most common and effective promotional avenue for these challenge grants, but many nonprofits are struggling to expand beyond it digitally. Direct mail ranks as the second most cited promotional method, indicating that organizations are still leaning heavily on traditional channels while underutilizing other opportunities like websites, social media, and SMS.

64% of nonprofits conduct year-end challenge match campaigns, demonstrating they're an important park of peak fundraising activities.

6. 64% of surveyed nonprofits run year-end challenge match campaigns. 

Source: Double the Donation

Year-end remains the most popular time for challenge campaigns, as donor urgency and generosity peak in the final weeks of the calendar year. Yet, there’s an opportunity for more nonprofits to benefit from challenge matches and grants at year-end.

Only 16% of surveyed nonprofits promote challenge grants on their website.

7.  Only 16% of surveyed nonprofits report promoting challenge matches on their website. 

Source: Double the Donation

Despite the web being a key fundraising tool, most nonprofits appear to struggle with integrating and promoting match opportunities effectively on their websites which creates a missed opportunity for real-time engagement opportunities.

Challenge Match Trends for Nonprofits to Leverage

1. Challenge Matches Are Appearing in Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

More nonprofits are incorporating challenge grants or matching challenges into peer-to-peer fundraising efforts. Peer-to-peer campaigns, which encourage donors to fundraise on behalf of a nonprofit, benefit greatly from challenge matches, as they inspire participants to meet higher donation goals with the added incentive of amplified impact.

2. Multi-Donor Matches Are Becoming More Common

In addition to major individual donors, nonprofits are increasingly tapping into multi-donor match pools, where several donors contribute to a collective fund. This strategy spreads the financial responsibility out and engages a wider network of supporters, allowing more nonprofits to offer these initiatives.

3. Limited Time Matching Periods Drive Action

Nonprofits are inciting a sense of urgency by setting time-limited matching periods. For example, offering a match that’s only available for the first 48 hours of a campaign increases immediate contributions and boosts the momentum of fundraising efforts.

Pro Tip for Nonprofits:
If you’re offering a challenge grant, clearly communicate the match deadline to create a sense of urgency. Consider countdown timers in your emails or on your fundraising page.

4. Promoting Your Challenge Grant on Your Website Unlocks Results

While email is still the most common channel, promoting challenge matches and grants directly on your website is an underutilized strategy that can drive real growth. Your website is visited by supporters, potential major donors ready to activate their own challenge grant, and corporations alike. Making sure that challenge match availability is visible here is critical.

Nonprofit Success Stories: Amplifying Impact with Challenges

Challenge grants and matching challenges tap into a sense of competition to drive real results for fundraising teams. Here’s how some nonprofits are benefiting from these strategies:

  • Oasis for Orphans:
    Oasis for Orphans implemented a match around Giving Tuesday and saw $50,000 generated from the initiative! They promoted the match in email headers and website promotions to get their donors aware of and interacting with the opportunity.

Oasis for Orphans promotes matches through email.

  • Fresno Chaffee Zoo:
    Fresno Chaffee Zoo launched a matching challenge aligned with World Elephant Day, helping them spur action from donors interested in their mission in a very targeted amount of time!

Fresno Chaffee launched a challenge match aligned with World Elephant Day.

These case studies demonstrate how offering any kind of matching opportunity to donors not only drives donations but also increases loyalty and engagement.

How to Make the Most of a Challenge Match

If you’re ready to incorporate a challenge match into your fundraising strategy, here are some steps to maximize your success:

1. Set a Clear Match Limit and Deadline

Donors are more likely to respond when they know the exact parameters of the match. Be transparent about:

  • How much will be matched (e.g., “Every gift up to $25,000 will be doubled”).

  • Who is providing the match (a major donor, foundation, or donor pool).

  • When the match expires (e.g., “This opportunity ends at midnight on December 31”).

Setting a deadline creates urgency, while a clearly defined cap helps manage donor expectations and motivates action before the limit is reached.

2. Promote Across Multiple Channels

Don’t rely solely on email. While it may be the most used channel and is effective, reaching out across a few channels is key to reaching more donors. Consider a combination of these channels, leveraging each channel’s strength:

  • Email: Announce the match, share updates, and remind donors of the deadline.
  • Website: Add a homepage banner, donation page alert, or pop-up about the match.
  • Social Media: Use urgency-driven posts, live updates, and video testimonials to promote.
  • Direct Mail: Especially effective for older donors, include a match insert or header on printed appeals.
  • Text Messaging: Great for quick deadline reminders if you have opted-in donor phone numbers.

3. Report Progress Regularly

Keeping donors informed about how close you are to reaching the match goal builds excitement and trust.

  • Send updates like “We’re 65% of the way to unlocking the full match!”

  • Use visuals such as thermometers or progress bars on your site and in emails.

  • Provide mid-campaign updates across social media and newsletters to re-engage supporters.

These updates can inspire donors to give again or share the campaign with others to help close the gap.

4. Follow Up with Matched Donors

Post-campaign follow-up is essential for stewardship and future success. After the campaign:

    • Send a personalized thank-you to each donor that makes it clear their gift was matched.

    • Share the final results of the campaign (“Thanks to your support, we raised $75,000 including the full $25,000 match!”).

    • Tell the impact story and explain how the funds will be used to advance your mission.

    • Offer ways to stay involved, such as recurring giving, volunteer opportunities, or upcoming events.

The Takeaway: Challenge Matches Work 

The data is clear: challenge grants and matching challenges are some of the most effective tools available to nonprofits today. They help drive urgency, increase gift amounts, and bring in donors who might not have given otherwise.

By integrating these strategies, especially with stronger website promotion and simpler campaign management, nonprofits can unlock even more year-round fundraising potential.

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