Workplace Giving Software: What Nonprofits Need to Know

October 6, 2024 0 Comments

Corporate giving is consistently increasing. Over the course of just one year, corporations gave $20.77 billion to nonprofits. As a result, nonprofits have noticed the potential of workplace giving, and 49% of charitable organizations have identified it as a potential growth strategy.

To tap into this revenue source, nonprofit leaders should have a basic understanding of what workplace giving is, the modern software corporations use, and what tools their own organization can leverage to earn more from donors employed at companies with workplace giving programs. Additionally, while nonprofits only have so much influence over whether a company starts a workplace giving program, they still do have some influence, which can be leveraged to diversify their revenue.

For nonprofits interested in workplace giving, this guide will dive into how modern workplace giving software impacts these corporate philanthropy initiatives. Specifically, we’ll cover the following:

What is Workplace Giving Software?
The Importance of Workplace Giving Software for Nonprofits
Types of Workplace Giving Software to Know
Noteworthy Workplace Giving Software Features
Workplace Giving Software Integrations
Our Recommended Workplace Giving Software for Nonprofits: 360MatchPro

Workplace giving software can refer to a variety of technologies, so let’s get started by defining it and setting the parameters of this guide. Later on, we’ll share our top recommendation as to workplace giving software for nonprofits.

In a hurry? Check out our #1 suggested provider, 360MatchPro.

What is Workplace Giving Software?

Workplace giving software can be defined as any digital platform that enables corporate giving programs, such as matching gifts, volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and other forms of corporate volunteerism. While there are a number of software solutions designed for businesses looking to participate in employee giving, this guide will focus primarily on workplace giving software for nonprofits.

Organizations can leverage this software to identify workplace giving opportunities, provide supporters with the information they need to participate, and streamline the overall processes involved in their employers’ workplace giving programs.

The Importance of Workplace Giving Software for Nonprofits

Workplace giving software is an essential tool for nonprofits looking to streamline and maximize their fundraising efforts. These platforms help organizations efficiently manage and track workplace giving programs, ensuring that organizations capture every available opportunity to increase support.

As a result, your nonprofit will benefit from:

More revenue through CSR. Workplace giving software is essentially an optimization tool, automating the CSR process to make it faster, more efficient, and more organized. As a result, more employees can participate in their companies’ CSR efforts and support nonprofits like yours.
Increased visibility. Some workplace giving platforms have search tools that allow businesses (and their employees) to research specific nonprofits to support. As a result, your nonprofit may get discovered by an entirely new audience of corporate donors.
Better donor interface. While employees can certainly participate in their workplace giving programs without making use of dedicated software, it’s considerably more difficult to locate and complete the steps without it. When equipped with the right workplace giving software through their favorite organizations, however, it’s easy for donors to access program instructions and take their next steps.

The right workplace giving software can even help uncover potential partnership opportunities, too⁠—going beyond workplace giving to encapsulate other forms of corporate philanthropy. Talk about a win-win!

Types of Workplace Giving Software to Know

As mentioned, you can use nonprofit software to help donors get involved with workplace giving. A few platforms nonprofits can use to engage in CSR programs include:

Matching Gift Database

Nonprofits can provide donors with the information they need to participate in workplace giving with matching gift software. Embed matching gift software into your donation page to encourage donors to explore their eligibility while they’re in a giving mood.

Here’s how it works: matching gift software connects your donors to a large matching gift database. This searchable database stores information about a wide range of companies’ matching gift programs and requirements. This includes details about donation maximums and minimums, who is eligible, and when the matching gift request must be submitted.

With the use of matching gift software, there are two ways nonprofits can help donors determine if they’re eligible for a matching gift. Essentially, when a supporter donates, they can either:

Enter their workplace email address. If donors choose to use their workplace email address as part of their contact information when they make a charitable contribution, matching gift software can pick up on it. Then, the software will automatically pull up their matching gift eligibility information and prompt them to complete a matching gift application from the confirmation page.
Search a matching gift database. If supporters use a personal email address when donating, they will be prompted to search for their employer using a matching gift search tool. The search tool accesses a database of thousands of employers’ matching gift information (as well as insights on corporate volunteerism and more) and can pair each donor with their employer, even if they spell their name wrong.

For the best results, advise donors to read their companies’ eligibility criteria carefully even after it’s automatically provided to them. Almost all matching gift programs have some requirements, such as minimum and maximum donation amounts, types of organizations that can be donated to, and whether they need to be employed full-time to receive matches.

Matching Gift Auto-Submission

The latest technology in matching gift software is auto-submission. Auto-submission does what the name implies—it uses donor information to automatically complete matching gift applications for them and submit them to their employer.

Here’s a breakdown of how auto-submission works:

Donor completes a donation. Supporters complete their donations as normal. Afterward, they’ll be prompted to check their matching gift eligibility.
Donor finds their employer’s matching gift information. Once a donor confirms their employer by either using a work email address or searching the matching gift database, they’ll be paired with their matching gift information.
The auto-submission tool completes the donor’s matching gift request for them. For those who qualify for auto-submission through their employer’s CSR platform, their matching gift request can be submitted in just a few clicks⁠—saving time and earning your nonprofit more revenue.

Auto-submission technology can go a long way in streamlining the participation process for donors. By removing critical roadblocks, it increases the likelihood of eligible requests being driven to completion. That means more funding for your cause!

Corporate Volunteer Database

There’s more to workplace giving than just matching gifts, so it’s good to find a solution that contains information on corporate volunteer programs, too. Specifically, look for a corporate giving database that can help your team uncover volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and more.

This kind of tool will function similarly to a matching gift database. Plus, your team can even integrate it with your volunteer management system or registration pages to collect employment information and identify corporate volunteer incentives in real-time.

As volunteers engage with your cause, they’ll be informed about available programming, receive company-specific program insights, and access direct links to their employers’ submission forms to get involved.

CSR Platforms

In addition to workplace giving software designed for nonprofits, there’s also a type of tool created to aid companies in their side of the process. These are generally referred to as corporate giving or CSR platforms, and they play a significant role in facilitating a smooth workplace giving experience. But while these platforms are catered to corporate partners, it’s important to realize the way they fit into the nonprofit’s side of things, too.

Specifically, nonprofits and other fundraising groups are encouraged to register for the platforms in order to become a verified cause, streamline giving, and confirm their supporters’ workplace giving involvement.

And the best part? It’s free for charitable organizations to create their profiles and utilize these platforms for their efforts!

Prospect Research Tools

Whether you’re looking for information on which donors work for businesses with existing workplace giving programs or you’re seeking partnerships with companies to establish new initiatives, prospect research can go a long way. And, lucky for you, prospect research tools can help you assess the potential value of each opportunity!

Here’s what you’ll want to take a look at:

Past philanthropic donations. Check companies’ philanthropic missions and how they align with your nonprofit’s cause. Outside of their stated CSR priorities, research if they have recently donated to nonprofits, and, if so, what causes they focus on.
Wealth indicators. Outside of major philanthropic contributions, check businesses’ political contributions, stock prices, recent earnings reports, and any other data that provides a sense of their overall wealth. This can give you an inside look at the types of support a company may be willing and able to offer!

From there, you’ll want to answer the question, “Does the business have any connections to your nonprofit?” This might include having a large number of employees who donate to your nonprofit, as overlapping audiences can be a key partnership motivator. In particular, look at your major donors for potential business connections. These donors are already invested in your organization and may be willing to introduce you to company leadership.

eCard Platform

One of the greatest challenges to raising more from corporate giving programs is a lack of employee awareness about these initiatives. In fact, according to Double the Donation, $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed each year.

To raise more from these sources, your nonprofit can launch marketing and awareness campaigns that share information about the impact of matching gifts and other corporate philanthropy programs. An eCard platform can help you spread the word to potential donors using eye-catching eCards that are branded to your nonprofit.

You can use an eCard platform to:

Share information about the positive impact of corporate philanthropy on your nonprofit’s mission.
Show appreciation for donors who participate in workplace giving programs.
Allow donors to create their own eCards to send to family and friends and let them know about their donation.

eCards can help your message stand out from other emails that donors receive. They’re a low-cost, eco-friendly way to spread the word about the benefits of workplace giving for your nonprofit and how easy it is for donors to get involved.

Noteworthy Workplace Giving Software Features

Workplace giving software comes with a variety of features designed to help nonprofits manage and maximize their workplace giving efforts. Here are some noteworthy features that can make a significant difference:

Searchable database tool – A searchable database tool provides detailed information on various companies’ workplace giving programs, including matching gifts, volunteer grants, and VTO. This tool enables donors and nonprofit staff to quickly search for employers’ workplace giving policies, eligibility requirements, and submission procedures, helping ensure that all potential opportunities are identified and utilized.
Matching gift information and forms – Matching gifts are one of the most popular forms of workplace giving. Including matching gift information and guidelines (e.g., minimum and maximum donations, matching ratios, deadlines, etc.) and direct links to submission forms within your workplace giving software simplifies the matching gift process for nonprofits and donors alike.
Volunteer incentive information and forms – Another huge tenet of workplace giving revolves around corporate volunteerism, so finding a tool that provides volunteer grant and VTO information can go a long way. By offering direct access to the necessary materials and information, the software simplifies the submission process, ensuring that volunteers can quickly and easily secure the appropriate grant funding or volunteer hours.
Marketing automation functionality – Automated reminders and follow-ups help ensure that matching gift requests are completed, boosting the chances of securing additional funds. This streamlines the workflow for both the nonprofit and the donor, eliminating manual tracking and reducing the risk of missed matches.
Reporting and analytics – Comprehensive reporting and analytics features allow nonprofits to gain valuable insights into their workplace giving programs. Organizations can track metrics like matching gift revenue, volunteer participation rates, and more. These insights help nonprofits measure the effectiveness of their campaigns, identify growth opportunities, and make data-driven decisions to improve fundraising and workplace giving strategies.

As you embark on a search for the ideal workplace giving software solution for your team, keep these features and functionalities in mind.

Workplace Giving Software Integrations

For the best results, your workplace giving software should not function as an independent silo but rather as an integrated piece of your overall tech stack. After all, workplace giving should be an essential part of your fundraising strategy, and you’ll want to ensure your tools can work together with ease.

For this purpose, it’s a good idea to review workplace giving software integrations⁠—and cover which types of solutions your organization will want to connect. This should include…

Donation tools: Make it easy for donors to provide employer information and uncover workplace giving opportunities directly as they give by integrating your workplace giving software and donation platform!
Peer-to-peer fundraising platforms: Similarly, peer-to-peer donations can be matched when workplace giving tools are connected with your team’s social fundraising solution.
CRMs or donor databases: Make sure every transaction that flows into your CRM is screened for workplace giving eligibility! By integrating workplace giving software with your donor management system, it’s easy to trigger personalized follow-ups and establish more robust donor profiles.
Volunteer management solutions: Uncover volunteer-focused opportunities by integrating your workplace giving software with a VMS or volunteer registration system. Secure employment data as volunteers register for activities, and use the information to encourage corporate volunteer incentives such as volunteer grants and VTO!
Bonus: CSR software: While this is more of a “behind-the-scenes” integration, it’s important to look for a workplace giving software that partners with companies’ CSR tools. This will allow you to access a more up-to-date database of corporate giving information and even offer matching gift auto-submission for eligible donors.

Our Recommended Workplace Giving Software for Nonprofits: 360MatchPro

Selecting the perfect software for your organization can be a difficult task. If you’re looking for our opinion, 360MatchPro by Double the Donation is definitely the way to go.

Why? The 360MatchPro platform is a powerful workplace giving platform designed to help nonprofits maximize matching gifts⁠—and other forms of corporate revenue⁠—and streamline the management of workplace giving programs.

As one of the leading solutions for nonprofits and schools, 360MatchPro offers a comprehensive set of features that enable organizations to automate matching gift processes, uncover corporate volunteer incentives, enhance donor engagement, and capture every available opportunity to increase funding.

Here’s why we recommend 360MatchPro for nonprofits looking to make the most of their workplace giving efforts:

Comprehensive Workplace Giving Database

360MatchPro includes access to Double the Donation’s industry-leading matching gift database, which features information on over 24,000 companies’ matching gift and volunteer incentive programs. This searchable database provides access to matching gift policies, volunteer grant guidelines, and VTO information⁠—including match ratios, minimum and maximum gift amounts, submission deadlines, and instructions for submitting requests.

Automated Matching Gift Identification and Outreach

One of the standout features of 360MatchPro is its ability to automatically identify matching gift eligibility for donations. When a donor gives, the software scans for matching gift opportunities based on the individual’s employer. From there, the system automatically sends personalized emails to the donor with details on how to complete the matching gift submission process, ensuring no matching gift opportunities are missed. This reduces the administrative burden on nonprofit staff, allowing them to focus on other important fundraising efforts.

Advanced Tracking and Reporting

The software’s tracking and reporting capabilities allow nonprofits to monitor the progress of matching gift requests, from initial identification to completion. The platform provides real-time updates on the status of matching gifts, helping organizations follow up with donors and companies as needed to ensure that requests are processed in a timely manner.

Advanced reporting features also offer insights into workplace giving trends, helping nonprofits understand the effectiveness of their outreach efforts and identify areas for improvement.

Seamless Integrations with Leading Fundraising Platforms

360MatchPro leads the charge when it comes to software integrations, as the platform integrates with more than 100 donation tools, CRMs, and CSR platforms, making it easy for nonprofits to incorporate matching gift processes into their existing workflows.

Conclusion + Additional Resources

Workplace giving software transforms how organizations benefit from CSR, and this matters for everyone involved in the employee giving process. Knowing more about these programs enables you to advocate for their creation, earn more funds through them, and speak frankly to your corporate partners about how they can get involved.

If you’re interested in learning more about workplace giving and what it means for your nonprofit, check out these informational resources on corporate philanthropy and nonprofit technology:

What is Corporate Giving? The Ultimate Guide to Earning More. Still have questions about CSR and workplace giving programs? Check out this complete guide to continue your research.
Marketing Workplace Giving: 9 Smart Ways to Spread the Word. Learn how your team can raise more with employee giving by marketing the opportunity to your supporter base. Your workplace giving software can help!
Free Download: Improve the Donor Journey with Matching Gifts. Matching gifts are one of the best ways to benefit from employee giving. Find out everything you need to know to improve engagement and more.