If you’re new to matching gifts, investigating companies with programs is like opening a door to a whole new universe.
The great news is that there are so many companies that match gifts — 65% of Fortune 500 companies, in fact! If any of your nonprofit organization’s donors work for one of these companies, their gifts might be eligible for some of the best matching gift programs in the country.
But it’s not just Fortune 500 companies that offer matching gift programs. There’s a chance that many of your donors’ employers, big or small, will double their employees’ philanthropy through matching gifts.
We’ll outline the top 12 corporate matching gift programs, then talk about the next steps your nonprofit should take to boost your matching gift strategy no matter where your supporters work!
- BP (British Petroleum)
- Disney
- Ford Foundation
- Gap
- General Electric (GE)
- Johnson & Johnson
- Microsoft
- Soros Fund Management
- Apple
- Chevron
- Merck
Take a quick look at your donor database. Do any of your constituents work for these companies? After your team reviews these top matching gifts companies, take a second look at your corporate philanthropy strategy to ensure you are maximizing your fundraising efforts.
Let’s dive into these impressive matching gift companies to help your nonprofit start raising more.
1. British Petroleum (BP)
About this matching gift program
BP offers an expansive corporate giving program that includes matching effort, time, and monetary gifts to charitable organizations. As an added feature, BP lets the general public track which organizations are receiving donations in real time online.
The company matches all employee donations at a 1:1 ratio of up to $5,000 per calendar year. This applies to both personal donations from employees and money raised by employees from family and friends. BP also provides a 100% match on money employees raise from charity walks, runs, and the like.
Why we love this matching gift program
When an employee volunteers with a nonprofit for 25 hours in a single year, BP’s volunteer grant program will contribute $10 per hour volunteered, up to $5,000.
Click here to learn more about BP’s matching gift program.
2. Disney
About this matching gift program
The Walt Disney Corporation is one of the most recognizable business names in the world for a reason. The many entities under Disney’s corporate umbrella include:
- Media networks
- Parks and resorts
- Walt Disney Studios
- Disney consumer products
- Disney interactive
So, what do these five segments mean for a nonprofit in search of matching gift funds? One, Disney has a lot of available funding to give. And, two, Disney has many employees who would be willing to donate to your cause.
Disney offers matching gifts at a 1:1 ratio for a maximum of $25,000. As an added bonus, Disney offers a program called Disney VoluntEARS to provide volunteer grants to nonprofits employees work with on a regular basis.
Why we love this matching gift program
Disney’s volunteer grant recipients can earn additional funding of $2,000 if they volunteer consistently with a nonprofit. Each year, Disney’s “VoluntEARS of the Year” grant awards $2,500 to the nonprofit of the winner’s choice.
Click here to read more about Disney’s matching gift program.
3. Ford Foundation
About this matching gift program
The Ford Foundation was originally founded by the Ford family. Although it is no longer associated with the Ford Motor Company, the private foundation manages more than $10 billion in assets and wields incredible influence worldwide.
The Ford Foundation uses a very generous matching gift ratio of 3:1. So if one of its employees donates $600 to an eligible nonprofit, the Foundation will match with $1,800 of additional funds, resulting in a $2,400 donation!
Why we love this matching gift program
The Ford Foundation will match donations ranging from $25 to $30,000. With a 3:1 match ratio, those donations could go a long way!
Click here to read more about Ford Foundation’s matching gift program.
4. The Gap
About this matching gift program
The Gap Corporation (which includes companies like Athleta, Banana Republic, Intermix, Old Navy, and Piperlime) honors requests for matching gifts from employees for most types of nonprofits.
Gap’s match limits vary according to the type of employee requesting the donation. Part-time employees are eligible for up to $1,000 in matched funds, whereas Senior VPs and other company leaders’ donations can be matched up to $15,000.
Why we love this matching gift program
Gap also has a generous volunteer grant program that rewards individuals and teams who volunteer $150 for every 15 hours served. Gap will provide grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to nonprofits where employees are on the board.
Click here to read more about Gap’s matching gift program.
5. General Electric (GE)
About this matching gift program
GE is the grandfather of gift matching. In 1954, the GE Foundation created the Corporate Alumni Program, the very first corporate matching gift program. Since the program’s inception, GE has matched more than $1.5 billion to nonprofits.
Now, more than 60 years later, the GE Foundation matches more than $39 million annually.
GE will match gifts dollar-for-dollar for almost any 501(c)(3) organization employees donate to. The Foundation has a match limit of $5,000 per employee, per year, and employees have until April 15th of the year following the donation date to apply for a matching grant.
Why we love this matching gift program
Part-time and full-time employees are all eligible to apply for a matching gift from GE.
6. Johnson & Johnson
About this matching gift program
Johnson & Johnson’s employees (full-time and part-time) as well as its retirees can have up to $10,000 of their personal contributions matched yearly for donations to most nonprofits.
The company differentiates between current employees and retirees in its match ratios. Current employees are eligible for a 2:1 match (up to a $20,000 company contribution), meaning that a donation from a Johnson & Johnson employee could result in triple the funds originally given.
For retirees, the company uses the standard 1:1 match ratio, which is still a major funding boost for nonprofits.
With a program like this in place, nonprofits will receive major financial benefits during an employee’s working lifespan and continue to reap the fiscal rewards long into the employee’s retirement. Ensure that you have the right matching gift marketing strategy in place so you can secure donors like Johnson & Johnson employees.
Why we love this matching gift program
Johnson & Johnson employees have a whole year to submit their matching gift requests!
Click here to read more about Johnson & Johnson’s matching gift program.
7. Microsoft
About this matching gift program
In 2022, Microsoft’s employees provided $255 million in employee donations (including the company’s match).
An impressive 65% of the company’s employees participate in the annual giving program, and Microsoft’s charitable records reflect that.
Microsoft generously matches up to $15,000 per employee, per year, and the company offers volunteer grants worth $25 per hour volunteered by its employees.
Why we love this matching gift program
Microsoft will match any donation amount (up to $15,000). Even donations as low as $1 are eligible to be matched!
Click here to read more about Microsoft’s matching gift program.
8. Soros Fund Management
About this matching gift program
Soros Fund Management has an incredibly large company contribution limit of up to $100,000 annually for each employee. It offers 3:1 matching for employee donations and 2:1 for partners. Soros Fund Management sets the bar high for what a matching gift program can accomplish for a nonprofit.
Only full-time employees and partners are eligible. However, Soros Fund Management will match donations to most 501(c)(3) organizations as long as requests are made electronically within one year of the donation date.
Why we love this matching gift program
With a cap of $100,000 and a match ratio of 3:1, it’s easy to see why Soros Fund Management is one of our favorite matching gift companies.
Click here to read more about Soros Fund Management’s matching gift program.
9. Apple
About this matching gift program
Apple is one of the leading technology companies, and it boasts an impressive matching gift program that both full- and part-time employees can take advantage of.
Apple will match donations ranging from $1 to $10,000 within 12 months of an employee donation.
Additionally, Apple offers a volunteer grant program that donates $25 to a nonprofit for every hour that an Apple employee volunteers at that nonprofit.
Why we love this matching gift program
Even though they match at a 1:1 ratio, Apple has a huge range of match-eligible donation amounts.
Click here to learn more about Apple’s matching gift program.
10. Chevron
About this matching gift program
Chevron’s full-time and retired employees can all apply for matching gifts for their donations ranging from $25 to $10,000 (for employees) or $3,000 (for retirees).
Chevron matches all donations at a 1:1 ratio, and most 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to receive matched funds.
It’s important to note that Chevron only accepts matching gift requests through the company’s online internal portal, meaning paper forms are not accepted.
Why we love this matching gift program
Employees have a long time to get in their matching gift requests! Chevron accepts requests until January 31 of the year following the donation date. This means that, in some cases, employees could have more than a year to submit a matching gift request.
Click here to check out more details about Chevron’s matching gift program.
11. Google
About this matching gift program
Nearly everyone uses Google in one way or another, and with more than 190,000 full-time employees, Google has no shortage of potential donors.
Google’s matching gift program will match donations at a 1:1 ratio, matching up to $10,000. The company has no required minimum donation amount. Like Chevron, Google will honor match requests that are made before January 31 of the year following the donation date.
Additionally, Google has set aside an extra matching fund program that doubles employee donations (up to $10,000) to disaster relief efforts.
Why we love this matching gift program
Google doesn’t just match “regular” donations. They will also double any money that employees raise before they participate in a fundraising walk or run.
Learn more about Google’s matching gift program by clicking here.
12. Merck
About this matching gift program
Merck has one of the highest matching gift limits out there. The company will match employee donations at a 1:1 ratio ranging from $24 to $30,000.
Merck will match donations to nearly any registered 501(c)(3) organization. Keep in mind that employees only have 6 months (180 days) from the donation date to submit their request.
Why we love this matching gift program
Merck also offers a volunteer grant program that makes donations between $500 and $1,000 (depending on hours served) to nonprofits where employees regularly volunteer.
Check out more details about Merck’s employee matching gift program.
These 12 companies are true exemplars of the matching gift community. Although programs vary from corporation to corporation, those on this list and others like them showcase the funding potential of matching gifts. If your donors work at any of the companies on this list, make sure they know about their employers’ programs and have the resources to submit matching gift requests.
An estimated $4-7 billion in matching gift funds is unclaimed annually. With company programs like these, you start to see where are all those billions are waiting to be donated. Help your loyal supporters make the most of their gifts by spreading awareness of matching gifts and how to request them.
