How to Ask Donors for Employer Matches (Without Making It Awkward)
A practical outreach playbook for nonprofits: what to say, when to say it, and how to guide donors from gift to filed paperwork.
Asking a donor to involve their employer can feel like adding homework to a generous act. Done poorly, it sounds like you're asking them to do your fundraising for you. Done well, it sounds like you're helping them multiply impact they already chose to make.
The tone that works is simple: you discovered an opportunity on their behalf, you're not sure they know about it, and you'd love to help them capture it if they're open to it.
When to reach out
The best window is within two weeks of a gift — while the donation is fresh and before they file taxes or close out the year mentally. A second touch works well after year-end, when donors are thinking about charitable giving and employers are resetting annual match limits.
You don't need a dedicated matching-gift campaign to start. Layer this into thank-you calls, stewardship emails, and major-gift conversations where employer context already exists.
First contact: make it about them
Lead with gratitude, then one specific fact. Avoid jargon like "matching gift program administration." Use plain language: their company may double the gift they already made.
- Thank them sincerely for their recent support
- Mention their employer by name (accuracy builds trust)
- State the potential match in dollars, not percentages
- Offer help — don't hand them a wall of instructions
Sample language you can adapt
"Thank you again for your gift to [org]. While reviewing our donor community, we noticed you may work for [Company] — they offer a program that matches employee donations, often dollar-for-dollar. Based on your support, that could mean an additional $[amount] for [mission] this year. Many donors don't know this exists. If you'd like, we can send a short guide or hop on a quick call to walk through it."
Short. Specific. No pressure. You're informing, not invoicing.
Second contact: remove friction
If they express interest, your job is to make the next step obvious. Some employers let the nonprofit submit; most require the employee to log into a portal. Send a one-page summary: company name, program link if you have it, gift date and amount to enter, and your organization's legal name and EIN.
Offer a 15-minute call with someone on your team — or a coach who does this regularly. The biggest drop-off isn't donor reluctance; it's a form sitting half-filled on a benefits website.
Track the pipeline like major gifts
Treat each match opportunity as a small major-gift pipeline: first contact made, follow-up sent, donor confirmed they gifted, paperwork filed with employer, dollars received. Employer payout often lags by weeks or months — that's normal, not a sign the match failed.
Tracking dates keeps your team patient and persistent. When the check arrives, celebrate it with the donor. That's a renewal conversation waiting to happen.
What success looks like
You won't convert every eligible donor in one quarter. You will build a repeatable motion: identify → inform → assist → file → receive. Over a year, that motion compounds — especially when you prioritize donors at companies with high caps and strong match ratios.
Match Catcher gives you the ranked list and coaching support to run that motion without building a research department. The relationships are already yours. This is how you make them worth twice as much.
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