The title of the post, “Donor FAQs About Corporate Giving and How to Respond”

5 Donor FAQs About Corporate Giving and How to Respond

Corporate giving is an extremely valuable fundraising opportunity, but it often goes untapped by the organizations that need it most. This is largely because donors just aren’t aware that programs like donation matching and employee volunteer grants exist. Even if they are, your supporters may not know how to participate and whether it’s really worthwhile.

To access these vital corporate funds, your nonprofit must be prepared to provide helpful information to donors. In this quick guide, we’ll explore common questions about corporate giving and how you can answer them to encourage participation.

1. Why do companies offer corporate giving programs?

When donors first hear about corporate giving, they might not understand why businesses participate in it. Do companies really donate portions of their profits to nonprofits? What’s the catch?

Without knowing the rationale, donors may not trust workplace giving, thinking it’s just an empty promise or a marketing ploy. In reality, however, companies offer philanthropy programs for a variety of reasons, including to:

  • Give back to the community. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept that mandates that businesses give back to the communities they operate in, which can include donating to nonprofits.
  • Boost employee engagement. Companies know that their team members are interested in philanthropy (81% of employees say it’s important to work for a company that integrates CSR!). By offering corporate giving programs, businesses can let employees take the lead and drive employee engagement long-term.
  • Maintain a positive reputation. Customers want to support businesses that are socially responsible and align with their values. Often, companies offer and publicize corporate giving as a way to prove they’re true to their values.
  • Improve stakeholder relationships. By regularly giving to charitable organizations, companies improve relationships with employees, customers, investors, partners, and the general public.

In your initial communications about corporate giving, emphasize that these programs are a win-win for everyone: your organization, the donor, and their employer.

2. How do I find out if I’m eligible for corporate giving?

Once donors understand the value of corporate philanthropy programs, they’ll want to know how to get involved. The first step is to determine their eligibility for opportunities like matching gifts, volunteer grants, and paycheck giving—which can be a tricky process.

Every company has different guidelines and eligibility criteria that determine who can participate. One employer may match donations to any 501(c)(3) as long as the employee is full-time, while another might restrict eligibility to non-religious nonprofits and employees who’ve been with the company at least a year. To find out, donors must visit their employee portals or look for information in their company handbooks.

You can make finding guidelines easier for donors by:

  • Providing instructions on your website for discovering eligibility and requesting corporate matches or grants. Create a specific corporate giving page that answers donor FAQs and includes examples of what eligibility requirements might look like.
  • Adding a matching gift search tool to your donation page that donors can use to quickly search for their employer’s corporate giving information. These embedded search bars access a database of companies to instantly give donors details about their employers’ offerings and requirements.

When you market corporate giving opportunities like matching gifts and volunteer grants, include basic instructions for checking eligibility and making a request. Highlight your search tool if you have one, or create infographics that break down the process into easy steps.

3. Is requesting matching gifts or volunteer grants worth it?

Since donors have to jump through a few hoops to determine their eligibility and make requests, they’ll want to know if it’s really worth the effort. 

The short answer is yes—participating in workplace giving is extremely worthwhile! Requesting matching gifts, volunteer grants, and other forms of corporate funding for your nonprofit helps donors increase their impact (without necessarily increasing their donations) and provide much-needed funding for your work. 

To better communicate the value of corporate giving to your nonprofit, share fundraising and impact metrics that demonstrate the tangible results of corporate donations. For instance, you could share the total revenue earned from matching gifts last year and how those dollars funded the construction of 10 houses for unhoused locals.

4. Does my company offer more ways to support nonprofits?

Loyal donors might wonder if there’s more they can do to support your nonprofit through their employer. Companies often participate in several types of philanthropy besides employee-driven workplace giving, and your donors can share opportunities as they discover them.

Specifically, employers might offer:

  • Event sponsorships
  • Monetary grants
  • In-kind donations of items or services
  • Long-term partnerships
  • One-off matching campaigns

And these offerings are just the beginning! Companies create all kinds of programs to support nonprofits in ways that align with their employees’ interests. For example, Uncommon Giving suggests that businesses co-host volunteer events with nonprofits throughout the year to boost volunteerism.

Donors can discover these opportunities by visiting their employee portals or speaking to leadership about corporate giving. If a donor identifies a good opportunity for your nonprofit, encourage them to bring it up to their manager or connect your organization with them. Even if these decisions are made by leadership rather than driven by employees, they’ll likely appreciate employee input.

5. What can I do if my employer doesn’t offer corporate giving?

Some of your donors might be excited to participate in corporate giving, only to discover that their employer doesn’t offer any formalized program. What can they do in these situations?

Let donors know that they can advocate for one! Encourage them to reach out to the leaders at their business and explain why starting a workplace giving program would benefit the company, the community, and employees alike. Provide statistics and research they can share with their employer to prove it’s worthwhile, such as this data from Crowd101. Support interested donors through this process, and thank them for their dedication to your cause.

Corporate giving may feel confusing for your donors, so it’s up to your nonprofit to answer their questions and share additional resources as needed. By supporting them through the request process, you’ll drive more donations and improve donor relationships at the same time.