Match employee donations to incentivize more giving through your program to nonprofits and giving opportunities. When matching is available, your people will see a banner on nonprofit profiles or giving opportunities indicating the match rate. There are a few different ways you can set up matching in your program.
Matching offers
With matching offers, you can set a year-round, default match rate and/or limited-time match rates over the year that apply to donations to nonprofits directly and to giving opportunities including those nonprofits. For example, if Nonprofit A is included in a matching offer, an employee will benefit from the higher match rate if they donate directly to Nonprofit A’s profile, or to a giving opportunity that includes Nonprofit A.
To view or manage matching offers, go to Manage > Company Giving > Matching Offers.
The following offer types exist:
Standard
The standard match offer is typically set up on an annual basis for a wide range of eligible nonprofits and runs throughout the year, renewing every year unless otherwise directed. The standard match is applied by default when users donate to an eligible nonprofit directly through its profile or a linked giving opportunity.
Standard match rates are configured by Benevity. To change the standard rate, contact support.
Relief
You can create a relief matching offer in response to a crisis or disaster to offer a higher match rate for nonprofits offering their support. This offer may run for a limited or extended amount of time, across multiple currencies to get support to nonprofits that need it.
This match rate overrides your standard rate when users donate to an eligible nonprofit directly through its profile or through a giving opportunity listing the nonprofit.
Programmed
You can create a programmed matching offer as part of a planned campaign, often organized around a theme or group of nonprofits(for example, Pride month or Earth Day). They may run for a limited or extended amount of time, across multiple currencies.
This match rate overrides your standard rate when users donate to an eligible nonprofit directly through its profile or a linked giving opportunity.
Managed
Managed matching offers (previously special matching campaigns) may have been configured by Benevity on your behalf, before the availability of matching offers. If you requested a special matching campaign on or after January 1, 2024, you’ll see a “Managed” offer in the Matching Offers table.
To update a managed matching offer, contact support.
Giving opportunity matching
Set a custom match rate for donations to a giving opportunity. This rate applies to all eligible donations to that opportunity, ignoring any matching offers. The donation and match are split evenly between the nonprofits linked to the giving opportunity.
Giving opportunity matching is not recommended, as employees will not receive the higher match rate when donating directly to the included nonprofit profiles. For example, if a giving opportunity includes Nonprofit A and you apply a 150% custom match rate in the creation form, employees donating to the giving opportunity receive the custom match. However, employees who go to Nonprofit A’s profile and donate will not receive the match.
Peer matching
With Peer matching enabled for your program, employees can create a giving opportunity for a nonprofit and offer their own funds to match donations to the giving opportunity or nonprofit profile. Any employee can contribute to the peer match pool to further incentivize employee giving.
Applying matching to donations
Matching offers
Donations to eligible nonprofits automatically use the standard match offer rate unless a Relief/Programmed match offer is active.
When creating a giving opportunity, set the Donation Match Rate dropdown to Default Match Rate Applied.
This ensures:
- The standard rate applies if there is no active Relief/Programmed rate.
- The Relief/Programmed rate applies if there is an active rate.
If a giving opportunity includes multiple nonprofits, the match rate only applies to the part of the donation going to eligible nonprofits in the offer.
Giving opportunity matching
If a match rate that is not Default Match Rate Applied is chosen for a giving opportunity, the selected rate overrides any matching offers.
Peer matching
If a giving opportunity is created with a peer match, a donation to the giving opportunity is matched by the peer match pool and the company, maximizing the impact. The company match rate depends on the active matching offers.
Example
Standard offer:
You’ve set up a 100% standard match rate. This means that employees receive a 100% match for donations to eligible nonprofits year-round. For example, if they donate $10, the company matches it with $10.
Relief offer:
You've set up a Relief matching offer for 3 nonprofits that are working hard to support people affected by a disaster in Mexico. It offers a 200% match rate for donations to those nonprofits over the next month. If an employee donates $10 to one of the three nonprofits over the next month, they'll receive an additional $20 match from the company. If they donate when the offer is no longer active, they'll receive the standard 100% match rate.
Giving Opportunity Matching:
A 150% match rate is selected for a giving opportunity for The Heart Foundation. If an employee donates $10 via the giving opportunity, they receive a $15 match. If they donate $10 directly to The Heart Foundation’s profile, they receive the standard match rate or an active match offer rate.
Peer Matching:
A 100% peer match is added to a giving opportunity for the Red Cross. If an employee donates $10 to the giving opportunity, they receive a $10 match from their peers' match pool.
Let’s say one of the nonprofits in the relief offer for Mexico is the Red Cross. This means they also receive a 200% match from the company - an additional $20!
Also, the $10 peer match receives a 200% match - another $20! In summary, the original $10 donation amplified to a massive $60 donation!