Peer matching amplifies the impact of donations by creating an additional match with contributions from peers. This approach encourages more donations, as potential donors are inspired knowing the nonprofit will receive even greater support.
For step-by-step guidance on launching peer matching, refer to the peer matching activation kit, which includes resources for campaign planning, promotion, and executive engagement.
Permissions
Anyone with permission to create a giving opportunity can create a peer match, provided peer matching is enabled for your program. If only admins can create giving opportunities in your program, only they can create a peer match, but once they create the original giving opportunity with a peer match, anyone can add to the peer match pool. If everyone can create a giving opportunity, everyone can create a peer match.
Understanding peer matching
Peer matching can be tricky to grasp at first. Let us simplify it with an example:
In the scenario shown in this image, three donations are made—$10, $25, and $100. Each donation receives:
- A company match (1:1 in this example, but it may be different for your company).
- A peer match contributed by other donors.
- A company match for the peer match itself.
In total, these donations generate $540 for the nonprofit. This example illustrates how peer matching can double, triple, or even quadruple the original contributions. Please note that matching ratios may vary by program.
If more than one person adds a peer match to an opportunity, the match will be spread proportionally between the matchers when someone donates. For example, if two people have placed a peer match of $50 each on an opportunity and someone donates $30, $15 will come out of each person’s peer matching pool. On the other hand, if Person A places a peer match of $50 and Person B places a peer match of $25, when someone donates $30, $20 will come out of Person A’s peer matching pool, and $10 will come out of Person B’s peer matching pool.
Tracking peer match contributions
You can keep track of donations and matches for a giving opportunity on the opportunity page:
Estimated raised
This total represents the amount raised through donations and eligible peer or company matches. It includes donations matched by peers and donations from sources not eligible for peer matching, such as Rewards, MyFunds, and PayPal.
Note: While company matches on the initial donation are included, company matches on peer matches are not reflected in this total.
Peer match pool
When a peer match is added to a giving opportunity for a nonprofit profile, the peer match will apply to all donations made to other giving opportunities associated with the same nonprofit, as well as donations made directly to the nonprofit’s profile.
However, when a peer match is added to a giving opportunity for a nonprofit project, the peer match applies to donations made directly to the nonprofit project, or to donations made to giving opportunities that include that nonprofit project.
The peer match pool displays the total peer matching funds available across all active peer matched giving opportunities for a nonprofit profile or project.
Matched
Indicates the portion of the peer match used so far. The total may include peer matches from other giving opportunities for a nonprofit profile.
Qualifying donations for peer matching
The following donation methods are eligible for peer matching:
- Donations made using a credit or debit card
- Donations made with your payroll
The following donation methods are not eligible for peer matching:
- Donations made outside of the Benevity platform
- Donations made using PayPal, Rewards, or MyFunds