To match or not to match, that is the question

The challenge

As year-end approaches, the prevalence of matching gift campaigns in the market puts pressure on many organizations to secure their own match, often in a bid to keep pace with industry trends.

The reason for this is clear: whether you love them or hate them, matching gifts are proven to be highly effective in driving donor engagement and increasing contributions. The true challenge lies in differentiating your matching gift offer from others, ensuring it captures attention and delivers maximum impact.

Before we get into the ins and outs of what makes a match campaign stand out, let’s start at the beginning and talk about what’s required to run a match campaign and what is the ideal timing. 

The research

Now that we know what a match campaign requires and how to plan for ideal match timing in market, let’s take a look at some research findings.

In a recent donor research conducted by Blakely’s Strategic Solutions teams we found that 61% of lapsed and 49% of non-donors would give if the donation was doubled.

In the same study, we found that younger non donors were even more likely to give if a match was present.

The results

Even beyond research, we’re seeing results consistently – where there is a match, there is an uplift. But is it the match or the campaign?

In June 2023 we ran a split test – nothing else was different, just the match offer. Response rate and ROI were up considerably on the treatment with the match offer

It’s not just annual giving…when we asked people what would make them more likely to give a planned gift… 

And we’re seeing it being a stronger tactic for younger legacy donors who are a key emerging market.

The Wrap-up

Matching gift campaigns are highly effective, but securing matches can be challenging. Partnering with your corporate and major gift teams to incorporate matching opportunities into proposals can attract donors seeking greater recognition. We’re also seeing an increase in estates willing to match donor contributions.

If you’re looking to develop a matching gift strategy or want more information, we’re here to help. Let’s chat!