The title of the post, “Improving Donor Retention: Best Ways to Keep in Touch”

Improving Recurring Donor Retention: 4 Ways to Keep in Touch

According to CharityEngine’s statistics, monthly donations made up 31% of all online fundraising revenue last year, and the average recurring donor stays engaged for more than eight years. This makes these supporters a highly valuable source of regular, long-term revenue—if you can retain them.

Fortunately, retaining your recurring donors doesn’t have to be a challenge. All you need to maintain relationships and keep them interested in your work are a few smart communication and marketing strategies. Let’s walk through four ways to proactively keep in touch with these vital supporters.

1. Personalized email updates

Sending periodic updates on your nonprofit’s work helps you keep recurring donors in the loop, even if they’re not checking in on your campaigns regularly. However, generic newsletters alone won’t cut it. To foster loyalty, every email update should feel tailored and intentional.

Think about what you would want to hear from a nonprofit you give to regularly. Likely, your supporters want to know how you’re using their funds and what’s going on at your organization generally. They might wonder how they can get more involved or if you have any pressing needs. To keep them informed, send engaging, personalized emails using these tips:

  • Share brief impact updates with monthly thank-you messages. Level up your donation acknowledgement emails by adding a few lines about the donor’s impact each month. When possible, include data specific to their previous contributions.
  • Invite them to relevant events and volunteering opportunities. Send invitations to involvement opportunities based on each recurring donor’s preferences and charitable areas of interest. For example, you might promote an appreciation gala to long-time recurring donors and invite younger, local supporters to an in-person volunteer event.
  • Update donors on the success of your monthly giving program. Everyone loves to feel like they’re part of an exclusive club, so remind your recurring donors that they are! Share data about the collective impact of monthly donors and the program’s overall success.

Track email marketing metrics to determine how effective these tactics are for your donor base and pivot as needed. Don’t forget to integrate recurring donors into your general donor engagement efforts, too. Along with these updates, they should receive feedback surveys, newsletters, and other relevant outreach.

2. One-to-one text messages

Text messages are a low-lift, high-impact way to stay connected with recurring donors. They have staggeringly high open rates, recipients often read them right away, and they’re easy to respond to if donors have questions. When someone does respond, your nonprofit can naturally engage them in a one-to-one conversation that feels much more personal than email.

Plus, texts are highly versatile. With the right SMS marketing tools, you can automate several different types of touchpoints and easily personalize them with recurring donors’ names and gift amounts. This might include:

  • Thank-you texts: “Thanks, David – we just received your monthly gift of $30! Recurring donors like you make our work possible 🙏 Check your email for a receipt.”
  • Program updates: “Langston, did you hear about our latest Atlanta housing initiative? Read our press release here to learn more. We couldn’t do it without you!”
  • Reminders to update payment information: “Hey Selena, we ran into an issue completing your latest $20 monthly gift. Please update your payment information here to continue making a difference.”
  • Answers to donors’ questions: “Great question, Dana! You can increase the size of your monthly gift at any time by emailing us or filling out this form. Appreciate your support!”

Beyond sending these common messages, Mogli explains that you can even create text-based surveys to gather quick donor feedback. Your monthly giving supporters can answer questions directly from their text messaging app while your organization automatically records new data in your CRM.

3. Impact-driven anniversary cards

Celebrating donor milestones is a great way to add heartfelt, personal touchpoints to your communication strategy. For recurring donors, their first year of monthly giving is a major milestone. Recognize this achievement with an anniversary card sent via direct mail or email.

A simple “happy anniversary” will put a smile on a recurring donor’s face, but you can take your message further by incorporating personal details and information about the supporter’s impact. Consider small, easy ways to infuse impact data into your anniversary cards, like adding:

  • A photo of smiling volunteers or community members.
  • Short quotes from grateful beneficiaries.
  • A small graph or chart that visualizes the donor’s personal impact in the last year.
  • Tangible details about what their gifts funded, such as “100 meals for TN residents in need.”

In addition to anniversary cards, send celebratory messages for birthdays and holidays. Each of these moments gives you a chance to keep your nonprofit top-of-mind and deepen relationships with monthly donors.

No matter what channel you use to send these messages, ensure they’re short and unobtrusive. Never include an ask in a birthday or holiday message—just remind recurring donors that you’re thinking of them on this special occasion and are grateful for their continued support. For long-time recurring donors, you might even mail them a small gift to show your appreciation.

4. Automated, behavior-based outreach

Go beyond basic personalization and segmentation strategies by building automated retention flows based on recurring donors’ behavior.

Use automation tools like Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud to set up triggers for specific outreach and communication journeys. Once a donor takes the specified action to trigger the journey (such as signing up, missing a payment, etc.), they’ll receive a series of targeted, highly relevant messages designed to boost retention. You can incorporate messages from multiple channels and space them out as needed.

For example, say you want to create a new recurring donor welcome series. Your automated journey might look like:

  1. A supporter signs up for recurring giving and makes their first monthly gift.
  2. Your nonprofit immediately sends an automated thank-you text message and an emailed donation receipt.
  3. Within 24 hours, you follow up the text with a more in-depth email welcoming them to your monthly giving program.
  4. A week later, you share an update about your nonprofit’s plans for the year and how the donor’s recurring gifts will play a part.
  5. After their second monthly donation, you send a special thank-you eCard to celebrate their first two months of recurring giving.

There are plenty of other behaviors you might watch out for and create automated outreach journeys to address. For instance, declining engagement or a missed payment could trigger a cadence for recurring donors at risk of lapsing, while another could target donors with upgrade potential.


Recurring donors are highly valuable members of your support base, so the work it takes to retain them is always worthwhile. With these data-driven strategies, you’ll create high-touch, high-impact experiences that help you retain recurring donors for the long haul.

Explore the fundamentals about donor cultivation in this comprehensive guide.

Donor Cultivation 101: How to Build Lasting Relationships

As of 2024, the number of new donors nonprofits acquired—in other words, donors who gave for the first time—fell by 11.5% compared to the previous year. Even the number of major and supersize donors, who tend to be the most loyal, declined by 4.7% and 2.3%, respectively.

Combined with general declines in fundraising revenue, these figures highlight the importance of fostering relationships with donors to keep them invested in your mission. Donor cultivation, supported by data-backed insights and decision-making, is the best way to form and deepen these meaningful connections. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the core concepts you need to get started:

The goal of donor cultivation is to connect with your supporters, understand the reasons behind their generosity, and make them feel like invaluable agents of change. But the first step toward these benefits is understanding the basics—let’s begin!

Unlock the insights you need to cultivate lasting relationships with new supporters. Get a quote!

Donor Cultivation Basics

What is donor cultivation?

Donor cultivation is the process of establishing and strengthening relationships with prospective donors before asking for a contribution. Key aspects of donor cultivation include identifying potential donors, learning about their interests and motivations, and inspiring them to give by appealing to those motivations.

Donor cultivation is a cyclical process fueled by insightful data your nonprofit collects, such as donors’ wealth capacities, giving histories, and contact information. The ultimate goal of donor cultivation is to create a sustainable base of loyal donors who support your organization’s overall mission and goals.

What is the difference between donor cultivation and stewardship?

While cultivation and stewardship aren’t the same thing, they are connected. Both practices are phases in the donor cultivation cycle and play a crucial role in your fundraising and donor retention efforts.

Here’s a quick summary of the difference between the two terms:

A summary of the difference between donor cultivation and donor stewardship, as well as the key activities associated with each one (detailed in the text below).

  • Donor cultivation: Cultivation prioritizes forming meaningful relationships with prospective donors before soliciting a gift. The goals are to build rapport with prospects, encourage them to donate, and establish a strong foundation for a long-term relationship.
  • Key activities: Identifying and researching prospective donors, establishing and nurturing relationships with prospects, crafting personalized communications to engage prospects, educating potential donors about your mission, and capping off these efforts with a tailored solicitation.
  • Donor stewardship: Stewardship comes after the prospect donates, focusing on thanking donors for their generosity and keeping them engaged in your mission. The goal is to ensure donors feel valued and understand their impact so they feel motivated to continue giving.
  • Key activities: Acknowledging and thanking donors for contributions, recognizing donors via special events or donor walls, reporting the impact of donors’ contributions, providing personalized engagement recommendations, soliciting feedback, and maintaining the relationship between gifts.

When your nonprofit does its homework during the cultivation phase, you’ll set yourself up for success in the stewardship phase. Rely on your data to consider donors’ interests, preferences, giving histories, and key milestones as you nurture relationships going forward.

What are the benefits of cultivating donors?

Every organization’s reason for cultivating donors remains the same: they want to establish and deepen relationships with those who believe in their cause. As you pursue this goal, you’ll likely find that effective donor cultivation can also bring about benefits like:

  • Engaging donors: The cultivation process helps create engagement opportunities that encourage donors to interact with your organization and learn more about your mission, programs, and impact.
  • Building trust: A 2024 study found that trust in nonprofits increased by 5 points to 57%. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of room for improvement via steps like committing to third-party ethics standards and fostering transparent relationships. Donor cultivation efforts demonstrate your commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of donations.
  • Retaining more supporters: Effective cultivation means you can retain more donors and inspire them to stay engaged in your activities. Set up communication cadences and spark meaningful relationships at the cultivation stage of the cycle, following up with regular communications, personalized recommendations, and recognition during the stewardship phase.
  • Boosting donor lifetime value: As fundraisers, we all know that donor attrition can be costly. Use donor cultivation to make an excellent first impression and secure that coveted first donation. Then, follow the donor cultivation cycle to inspire donors to give again and donate larger gifts over time, increasing their lifetime value.

As you can see, donor cultivation and stewardship are closely intertwined. You’ll need to practice both to take advantage of each of these benefits. Think of it like a relay race—eventually, you’ll need to pass the baton from initial relationship cultivation to long-term stewardship. 

The Donor Cultivation Cycle: 5 Key Phases

The process of seeking donations and building relationships with donors must be cyclical. Otherwise, you’d have to recruit new supporters for each gift, which would quickly become too expensive and time-consuming to manage. This repetitive process is known as the donor cultivation cycle or fundraising cycle.

The donor cultivation cycle is made up of the following phases:

The donor cultivation cycle, detailed below.

1. Identification: This stage requires finding people with the capacity and interest to support your cause. Consider everyone in your network who might support your mission, including current small or mid-level donors, recurring donors, volunteers, etc. Consult board members’ and donors’ networks to tap into new audiences.

💡Pro Tip: Follow data hygiene best practices to ensure your file is up-to-date and accurate, and leverage predictive modeling tools to predict which prospects are most likely to convert or upgrade.

2. Qualification: Next, you’ll qualify prospects by assessing their giving capacity, philanthropic interests, and likelihood of supporting the organization. These findings will help you prioritize prospective donors so you can devote more resources to those most likely to contribute a significant gift.

💡Pro Tip: Score donors based on key factors like giving history, wealth, personal connection to your cause, and community connections, with high scores indicating an ideal prospect.

3. Cultivation: Based on your research, begin forming a relationship with the prospect, educating them about your nonprofit’s mission, programs, and impact. This step typically involves activities like sending personalized communications that appeal to their interests, inviting them to join events, and promoting other ways to get involved (like volunteering).

💡Pro Tip: Segment donors based on shared characteristics, developing tailored communications for each segment. Be sure to evaluate and tweak segments as your audience of prospects and supporters evolves.

4. Solicitation: Once you’ve cultivated a relationship with the prospective donor, it’s time to make your fundraising ask. Depending on their potential giving level and communication preferences, you might meet with the prospect face-to-face, send a fundraising letter or email, or make an online appeal.

💡Pro Tip: Infuse your ask with details that appeal to the donor, and align the appeal amount with what you know about their financial capacity and willingness to give. For example, if you’re soliciting a gift from a retired musician, you might highlight the impact of your music therapy program.

5. Stewardship: Your work isn’t done when you receive a gift—in fact, the stewardship phase is just getting started. As mentioned earlier, this step involves thanking and acknowledging donors, communicating impact, and encouraging deeper engagement.

💡Pro Tip: Frequently check in with donors and collect feedback to see how things are going. Consider implementing a feedback loop to gather insights via surveys, evaluate their comments, and report back on whether you’ll implement their ideas.

Did you notice the common thread that runs through each of these steps? It’s data.

Donor cultivation and the broader donor cultivation cycle are all about getting to know your supporters, applying that knowledge to your interactions with them, and fostering relationships founded on trust and respect. This is why having a clean, comprehensive dataset on hand is so important. If your nonprofit is struggling with missing or outdated information, consider leveraging data append services to fill in the blanks.

10 Proven Donor Cultivation Strategies

1. Ensure data is clean, consolidated, and up-to-date.

Data hygiene is the ongoing process of maintaining a clean database free of errors and duplicate or outdated records. Prioritizing data hygiene will allow you to spot opportunities more quickly, allocate your resources more efficiently, and even reengage lapsed donors.

Get started by conducting an audit of your database to identify and delete any unnecessary, outdated, inaccurate, or duplicated data. Then, set standardized rules for data entry and formatting, and apply those rules to the data left in your file. Examine the remaining information, identifying any gaps you may need to fill in via data appending services. Additionally, make sure you’ve backed up your data in case something happens to the original file.

Remember that this is an ongoing process, so you must repeat these steps regularly. Set a schedule for the large-scale data audits, such as once per quarter.

2. Leverage prospect data.

We recommend tracking these important types of donor data:

  • Contact information: Track and update postal addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Accurate contact details are essential for delivering your communications and engaging donors—otherwise, you’ll waste resources on communications that reach no one.
  • Giving history: Track the amount, frequency, and date of each donor’s contributions, identifying giving patterns you can use to generate targeted fundraising appeals. For first-time donors, you may be able to learn about their giving history with similar organizations if they’ve donated significant amounts.
  • Engagement history: This refers to any nonfinancial engagement from supporters, such as volunteering or attending an event. While engagement doesn’t always equal funding, highly engaged supporters tend to be more interested in your work and mission (and more likely to donate!).
  • Demographic details: Collect demographic information about donors, such as age, gender, and income. This information will allow you to craft appeals tailored to their budgets and interests.
  • Donor preferences: Your nonprofit should track donors’ interests, values, and philanthropic preferences. Use this data to tailor engagement efforts to each donor’s individual needs and build a deeper relationship.

Don’t panic if you don’t have some of these key pieces of information. Data appends allow you to acquire any missing or outdated information in your CRM by cross-checking the information you have with a comprehensive external database.

Unlock the insights you need to cultivate lasting relationships with new supporters. Get a quote!

3. Personalize the journey.

Each supporter follows a unique path, from discovering your nonprofit to making that first donation. For instance, they might see your social media posts, click through to your website, and sign up for newsletters. From there, it’s up to you to spark a relationship and craft a donor journey that aligns with their preferences and needs.

Here are some quick tips to make personalization less daunting:

  • Segment donors. It’s impossible to cater to each and every minor preference, but you can personalize communication at a larger scale with segmentation. Create groups of donors based on shared characteristics and craft targeted communications for each segment. For example, one group may have the giving capacity of mid-level donors, prefer email communications, and be interested in your food pantry’s community garden program.
  • Develop individualized cultivation plans. When it comes to potential major donors, you should create a plan for each prospect that outlines personalized engagement activities, the ideal communication frequency, important preferences, and approved recognition methods. However, you can apply this strategy to small donors as well by creating plans for each donor segment.
  • Provide tailored recommendations. Donors don’t want to feel like a walking ATM. Instead of centering all of your interactions with them around soliciting a financial donation, recommend other ways to get involved based on their past preferences. Based on their preferences, invite them to events they might be interested in, suggest blog posts about topics they care about, and more.

Be sure to track the effectiveness of your messages with each individual or donor segment. Adjust your approach as needed to maximize your resources and impact.

4. Offer unique fundraising opportunities.

Unique fundraising opportunities can help inspire donations, and one of our favorite options is donation eCards. You can create branded eCards that donors can send to their loved ones, either letting them know they gave in their name or encouraging them to donate, too.

Alternatively, create cards for special occasions that anyone can buy. With holiday donation cards, supporters can celebrate birthdays, say thanks to their loved ones, or send well wishes —all while supporting your cause.

Sell fundraising eCards like this one to cultivate donors and inspire them to donate.

To sell the eCards, Fundraising Letters’ charity eCards guide recommends the following methods:

  1. Use eCards as integrated donation forms. Add eCards directly to your site’s donation process. A donor will select their preferred eCard, choose a donation amount, add the recipient’s contact information, and supply their payment details.
  2. Sell eCards as fundraising products. If you have an online fundraising store, add your eCards and sell them for fixed rates. Donors can browse your collection, personalize the eCards, and send them to friends and family.
  3. Add eCards to your donation confirmation page. Embed your eCards into your giving confirmation page. It can be a fun surprise if a donor doesn’t know they can send an eCard until it pops up on the confirmation page.

The key to this strategy is to leverage a strong eCard creation platform. We recommend eCardWidget for its user-friendly design tools and fundraising features that make it easy to sell digital greeting cards to support your cause.

Cultivate donor relationships with personalized eCards for your nonprofit. Learn about eCard Widget!

5. Maximize donors’ impact with matching gifts.

Matching gifts multiply the gifts your donors give. If their employer offers a matching gift program, their donation to your nonprofit could be eligible to be matched. This could turn a $100 donation into $200 at no extra cost to the donor.

Here are the most important ways to promote donation matching during the donor cultivation cycle:

  • On your website: Encourage prospective and current donors alike to check their eligibility. Consider creating a dedicated landing page for information about matching gifts.
  • Across digital communications: From your social media posts to your monthly newsletter, mention donation matching whenever you can!
  • On your donation form: Add a snippet about matching gifts to your donation form and an employer research tool to your confirmation page.

Accurate employer information is essential for effectively following up with match-eligible supporters. Learn more about this process with our guide to employer appends for nonprofits.

6. Highlight and communicate your impact.

Think of first-time donors as strangers to your cause. They know little about your mission, programs, or impact. It’s your responsibility to measure that impact and communicate it in a compelling, yet transparent and honest, way.

Consider leveraging nonprofit storytelling to convey your programs’ outcomes, weaving in metrics that add data-backed support to emotional success stories. Expand on your mission using the following story elements:

  • Compelling, relatable characters: Center the people, things, or places that are impacted by your story. For example, you might interview a real beneficiary and tell their story or describe the history of a landmark or monument your organization protects.
  • A clear setting: Use descriptive language to help readers understand when and where this story is taking place.
  • An engaging plot: Shape your plot using the hero’s journey, three-act structure, or another tried-and-true formula. Typically, stories include a hook or intriguing introduction, a central conflict, a climactic clash between the protagonist and the conflict, and a resolution to the conflict.

Don’t write off the resolution with a quick “and they all lived happily ever after.” This is where you can make your programs, services, and impact shine.

For example, perhaps your animal shelter tells the story of its work through the eyes of an abandoned mother cat struggling to keep her kittens safe, fed, and comfortable. After days of searching for scraps, she’s lured in by food set out by your trap, neuter, release (TNR) team, and the mother cat and her babies are sent to one of your foster homes! At this point in the story, layer in statistics about how many similar cat families you help each year and how many animals you adopt out to loving families.

7. Plan a communication cadence.

When building new relationships with potential supporters, consistency is key. To ensure you’re nurturing these relationships and engaging them at key points, create a standard communication cadence that everyone on your team follows.

Here’s a sample communication cadence for cultivating new supporters who have not yet donated:

  • Welcome and introduction: After an individual signs up for your newsletter, registers for an event, etc., send the new supporter a welcome email that provides an overview of your mission, values, and programs. Thank them for joining your community.
    • When? Within one day of the initial interaction.
  • Share impact stories: Follow up with an email sharing compelling success stories that showcase how your organization has made a difference.
    • When? One week after the initial interaction.
  • Educate and engage: Email the supporter detailed educational content about your work, including blog posts, videos, or infographics. Add a call to action (CTA) prompting them to take action.
    • When? Two to three weeks after the initial interaction.
  • Show transparency and impact: Provide a more detailed update on how donations are used and the progress you’ve made toward your goal—include specific numbers to back up your claims.
    • When? One month to six weeks after the initial interaction.
  • Recommend other ways to engage: Using anything you’ve learned about the prospect, recommend additional ways to get involved that appeal to their interests.
    • When? Six to eight weeks after the initial interaction.
  • Inspire a sense of urgency: Share time-sensitive campaigns or urgent needs, such as reaching your end-of-year fundraising goal or rebuilding after a natural disaster, to inspire supporters to take action.
    • When? Around two months after the initial interaction.
  • Share a personalized ask:
    • When? Two to three months after the initial reaction, no more than two weeks after the urgent appeal.

Remember, your communications shouldn’t stop here. Now, you’ll need to start the cycle over again by thanking donors for their support, continuously sharing your impact, and providing updates about your programs and beneficiaries. These stewardship efforts will then set up your next fundraising ask for success.

8. Prepare for challenges and rejection.

When you finally make that fundraising ask, you need to be ready for whatever response supporters have. While the goal is always a resounding “yes,” some donors may respond with questions or reject your request for support. However, there are ways to respond to these more negative responses and maintain the positive relationships you’ve built during the donor cultivation process.

Here’s how you might respond to common challenges or rejections from potential donors:

The most common donor challenges and rejections paired with recommended responses (detailed in text below).

  • “I can’t afford to donate right now.” Acknowledge that you understand their reasoning and validate the forms of support they are able to contribute, no matter how small. Offer alternative forms of support that they can do, like volunteering or spreading the word about your cause.
  • “I don’t know enough about your organization.” Address any specific questions they have and share impact reports, success stories, and blog posts. Consider revisiting your welcome materials to see if there are ways to improve how you educate newcomers about your mission.
  • “How can I be sure my donation will be used well?” Assure donors that you are dedicated to transparency and honesty. Confirm that you will answer any and all questions about resource allocation, and provide materials like audited financial statements, your annual report, and third-party certifications.
  • “I want to see more results before donating.” Offer to share more success stories, ongoing projects, or measurable outcomes. For potential major donors, you could offer to set up a meeting between them and your program director to go over your daily operations and how they impact the community.

Sometimes, supporters just aren’t ready, willing, or able to give, and that’s okay. Know when to take no for an answer and simply follow up with educational content or invitations to support your cause in other ways. Forceful or unrelenting attempts to secure a donation will only drive these supporters away, sacrificing all of your hard work from the cultivation stage.

9. Create a culture of gratitude.

Whether or not they’ve donated, you never want supporters to feel like you only care about their money. No matter what they contribute to your cause, your nonprofit should strive to show them how much their involvement matters. Get everyone on your team on the same page by building a culture of gratitude.

This practice starts with your leaders. Encourage leadership to model gratitude in their daily interactions with staff, volunteers, and other supporters—for example, they might highlight a staff member who went above and beyond in weekly team meetings. These small efforts stack up, and they set the tone for your organization’s interactions with donors.

In addition to sharing prompt and personalized thank-you messages, consider setting structured recognition programs for donors and volunteers to recognize your most dedicated supporters. Frequently seek feedback from supporters and implement their suggestions when you can. Track and celebrate milestones and important dates, such as the anniversary of their first donation or their birthday.

10. Recommend additional ways to engage.

When it comes to donor cultivation, non-financial forms of engagement, like volunteering, attending events, and connecting with your online community, can be just as meaningful. Getting donors involved in these other areas of your organization can help them see firsthand why financial support is so crucial. Plus, they’ll recognize that your nonprofit views them as more than a funding opportunity.

You can also increase engagement by expanding your nonprofit’s network. Establishing deep roots in your community can help you become a more meaningful, recurring part of their lives. For example, you might work with local businesses and institutions to:

  • Establish workplace giving programs with local businesses.
  • Secure event and campaign sponsorships from businesses.
  • Co-host programs and events with other nonprofit organizations.
  • Lend volunteer power to public institutions (e.g., help clean up your city’s park).
  • Offer free educational programming in partnership with peer organizations and community groups.

Corporate giving programs are among the easiest ways to get started expanding your network and building more touchpoints with donors. That’s because they’re mutually beneficial for both your nonprofit and businesses, which receive public recognition and increased employee engagement as a result of giving back to the community. It’s a win-win!

Wrapping Up

Effective donor cultivation looks different for every organization. Beyond understanding the fundamentals of the cycle, your nonprofit will thrive by experimenting with different strategies like thank-you eCards and data appending.

Remember, the cycle is an ongoing process—it never truly ends. Rather, you need to re-enter donors into the cycle every time they give, so you can maintain those relationships and upgrade their support.

As you refine your donor cultivation strategies, check out these additional resources:

The title of the blog post, Using Donor Data to Improve Fundraising Campaigns

Using Donor Data to Improve Fundraising Campaigns: 3 Tips

Your donor data isn’t just a collection of numbers—it’s a treasure trove of insights that can strengthen your organization’s operations in various ways, especially when it comes to your fundraising strategy.

By identifying patterns and trends in your donors’ demographics, capacity to give, donation patterns, and communication preferences, you can more effectively tailor your campaigns to engage your donors and reach your goals.

In this guide, we’ll explore three expert tips for using donor data to improve your fundraising campaigns. Let’s begin.

1. Prepare your data to be useful.

To make the best decisions possible about leveling up your fundraising strategy, your donor data needs to be organized and accurate. Here are some ways you can improve your nonprofit’s data hygiene:

  • Identify where all of your data lives. Your donor information may be sitting in several different solutions, such as your constituent relationship management platform (CRM), fundraising platform, or email marketing tool. Note where all of your information is, and then implement integrations between your tools to ensure you can access everything in one place. You can also set up a data warehouse to collect, process, and organize data from these different sources. Note that even if you have a well-integrated technology stack, you should still identify the ultimate source of truth for your data. In most cases, that will likely be your CRM.
  • Clean up your existing data. Remove duplicate entries, correct errors (such as misspelled names or incorrect email or home addresses), and update outdated information.
  • Supplement existing data if needed. As you review your donor information, you may discover gaps that would be useful to fill ahead of your next fundraising push. In these cases, it may be appropriate to conduct a data append. Data appends can help you access donors’ phone numbers, email addresses, geographic data, and more so that you have a fuller picture of who they are and how to connect with them.
  • Standardize data formats. Consistency in formatting allows you to process and analyze your donor data more easily. Ensure your formatting is the same across the board for all phone numbers, addresses, and donor names.

Prioritizing data hygiene will allow you to hone in on patterns and trends in your data and focus on key metrics useful in a fundraising context. This means you may need to conduct a big one-time cleanup if you haven’t for a while. However, you should also implement robust processes to ensure that once your data is organized and accurate, it stays that way as you collect more.

2. Embrace donor segmentation.

Donor segmentation is the process of dividing your donors into groups based on shared characteristics. Using donor data, you can segment your donor community in various ways, such as by location, engagement level, giving capacity, or communication preferences.

Segmentation allows you to tailor your campaign outreach to donors at scale. For example, you can divide your donors by donor type, such as first-time donors, major donors, and recurring donors. You can then design different messaging for those groups.

Here’s what this might look like in practice:

  • First-Time Donors: As these donors haven’t committed to giving your organization further support, focus your messaging on building relationships that will lead to future donations and engagement. Send personalized thank yous for their first donations and invite them to stay involved through events and volunteering. When the timing is right, suggest smaller, additional gifts to your next campaign.
  • Recurring Donors: These donors are familiar with your organization and provide regular support. Provide frequent updates on your nonprofit’s goals and achievements, and invite them to level up their giving for your campaign through sustainer upgrades.
  • Major Donors: Since these donors give your nonprofit its largest gifts, they deserve the most personalized experiences with your organization and its campaigns. Ensure that all communications have a high level of personalization, and when donors give to your campaign, report back on the long-term impact of those contributions. Also, offer these donors special recognition opportunities, like naming rights for programs or spaces, personalized invitations to events, and possible speaking opportunities.

In an ideal world, you would design perfectly personalized fundraising outreach for every donor who supports your organization. But with a donor community of thousands, that’s just not possible.

Segmentation allows you to achieve a realistic and effective level of personalization for your donors, saving you time and resources while also still helping each donor feel seen and valued by your organization.

3. Analyze trends and patterns in donations.

A major part of planning a successful fundraising campaign is setting realistic and ambitious fundraising goals and designing careful fundraising asks that will help you achieve those goals. The best way to do this is to turn to your data, analyze the trends and patterns you see in donations, and make data-driven decisions.

Here are some effective strategies for doing so:

  • Look at past donation frequency and amounts. How often do donors give to your cause, and at what levels? Go further by connecting these numbers to your supporters’ behavior. For instance, you may find that donations increase after certain types of outreach This insight may prompt you to replicate successful strategies for future campaigns.
  • Identify your current donor retention rate. Your donor retention rate is the percentage of donors who continue to support your mission over time. To increase your retention rate from campaign to campaign, focus on first-time donors. Nurture relationships with them by engaging in thoughtful follow-up to increase the likelihood of them becoming long-term supporters.
  • Analyze donor lifetime value (LTV). LTV allows you to calculate the revenue potential a donor holds for your organization. To find it, multiply the average length of time as a donor by their average donation amount. Multiply the resulting number by the average donation frequency. You can calculate LTV for different donor groups to better understand who to prioritize during your next campaign. For instance, you might notice that donors who made their first donation at an event have a higher LTV than donors who gave their first donation online. Consider using custom reporting or custom dashboards to help your organization visualize this information.
  • Monitor overall campaign effectiveness. Keep an eye on donation data before, during, and after your campaigns to identify which strategies generate the most donations. You might notice that certain fundraising approaches or communication channels yield the best return on investment (ROI), which can help you as you design future campaigns.
  • Pinpoint if/how donors have taken advantage of corporate giving opportunities. Many of your donors likely work for employers with corporate giving programs, which can provide additional value to your organization’s campaigns with little effort from individual donors themselves. Check out your donor data to see if your supporters are taking advantage of matching gift or volunteer grant programs. Then, boost the likelihood they participate by actively promoting corporate giving opportunities in your marketing materials.
  • Watch for seasonal patterns. Many organizations notice that there are peak times during the year when they pull in more donations than usual. For example, an educational institution may see that donations pick up in the fall after dipping in the summer. Understanding seasonal patterns allows you to plan your campaigns around peak times so that you appeal to donors when they’re most likely to give.

Your organization doesn’t always have to reinvent the wheel to see better fundraising results. In fact, experimenting with new strategies for each campaign may send a message that your organization is inconsistent.

Instead, by studying your donor data, you can do more of what is already working. Review your donation data and campaign results regularly to stay up to date on what is driving great results.


Your donor data holds the key to understanding your community of supporters and improving your operations, especially your fundraising work. As you manage your data effectively, embrace the process of donor segmentation, and analyze giving trends and patterns, you’ll be prepared to make thoughtful improvements to your strategy that boost your fundraising revenue.

Corporate Volunteerism Maximizing Companies’ Hands-On Help

Corporate Volunteerism: Maximizing Companies’ Hands-On Help

In today’s socially conscious landscape, companies are no longer content to simply write checks—they want to roll up their sleeves and get involved in hands-on ways (and they want to get their employees involved, too). As a result, corporate volunteerism, or the practice of businesses encouraging and organizing their employees to volunteer in the community, is on the rise.

But how can organizations best leverage this valuable resource? In this post, we’ll explore how nonprofits can maximize the impact of corporate volunteer programs and turn short-term service days into long-term partnerships.

It’s a win-win strategy: nonprofits gain access to skilled and enthusiastic help, while companies build stronger teams and demonstrate authentic social responsibility.

What is corporate volunteerism?

Corporate volunteerism is a business-driven initiative that encourages employees to give their time and talents to support nonprofit organizations, schools, or community efforts. It involves companies actively organizing, promoting, or supporting volunteer opportunities—whether through dedicated service days, skills-based volunteering, or ongoing partnerships with local causes.

Unlike traditional corporate philanthropy, which often centers around financial donations or sponsorships, corporate volunteerism offers a hands-on form of support. At its core, corporate volunteerism is about aligning company values with community impact—turning good intentions into tangible, real-world impact. Plus, it provides real incentives for employees to get involved with volunteering.

Types of corporate volunteerism programs to know

Corporate volunteerism comes in many forms, and understanding the different types can help nonprofits and businesses identify the right fit for their goals and resources.

Here are some of the most common and impactful kinds of volunteer programs companies offer:

Volunteer Grants

Volunteer grants, also known as Dollars for Doers, are a powerful form of corporate philanthropy that allows companies to financially support the organizations where their employees volunteer. When an employee donates a certain number of hours to a nonprofit, the company provides a monetary donation to that organization as a way of recognizing and amplifying the employee’s service.

Volunteer Time Off

Some companies offer paid time off specifically for volunteering. This empowers employees to support causes they care about during regular work hours without using vacation or personal time. It also reflects a company’s long-term commitment to community engagement. And because work commitments are generally the largest barrier preventing people from volunteering, VTO is essentially a solution to the problem.

Skills-Based Volunteering

In this model, employees contribute their professional expertise—such as IT, legal, marketing, finance, or HR—to help nonprofits solve specific challenges. This type of volunteering provides high-impact value and can result in lasting improvements for nonprofit operations. Plus, it can often be paired with additional opportunities such as volunteer grants or VTO programs, allowing their time to stretch even further.

Team Volunteer Days

Many companies organize regular service days, where the entire organization participates in volunteering together. These high-visibility events demonstrate a strong commitment to community and often make a big splash in terms of morale and impact. And some companies offer team volunteer grants, too!

Virtual Volunteerism

With the rise of remote work and digital collaboration tools, virtual volunteering has become more accessible. Employees can tutor students, provide career coaching, or help with administrative tasks—all online from the comfort of their own home or office. This model is flexible and inclusive, allowing for broader participation across locations. Not to mention, it can often be paired with volunteer grant opportunities as well.

Benefits of corporate volunteerism

Corporate volunteerism creates a ripple effect of positive outcomes for all parties involved. Here’s a closer look at how each group benefits from these hands-on initiatives:

Nonprofit benefits

  1. Increased Manpower and Resources Nonprofits often operate with limited staff and resources. Corporate volunteer programs provide access to additional hands-on help, which is especially valuable for large-scale projects, events, or ongoing support. Volunteers may assist with everything from day-to-day operations to more specialized tasks, allowing organizations to increase their overall impact. Plus, VTO programs help you solve the issue of potential volunteers simply lacking the time to get involved.
  2. Skills and Expertise Volunteers often bring specialized professional skills to the table, such as legal advice, marketing expertise, IT support, or financial planning. For many nonprofits, these services are otherwise out of reach due to budget constraints. Corporate volunteers provide nonprofits with the opportunity to receive high-level advice or project assistance at no cost.
  3. Increased Visibility and Connections When companies partner with nonprofits for volunteer initiatives, the nonprofit often benefits from the company’s broader network. Employees’ involvement may also attract media attention, boosting the nonprofit’s visibility and credibility within the community. These connections can lead to new donors, partners, or advocates.
  4. Long-Term Partnerships Corporate volunteerism can lead to more than just a one-off event. If successful, it can build a strong, long-term relationship between the nonprofit and the company. Companies might become consistent donors, event sponsors, or long-term partners who provide ongoing volunteer support.

Company benefits

  1. Enhanced Brand Reputation Corporate volunteerism shows a company’s commitment to social responsibility, demonstrating that they care about more than just profits. This commitment can enhance a company’s brand, build trust with consumers, and differentiate it from competitors.
  2. Improved Employee Engagement and Retention Providing employees with opportunities to volunteer fosters a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Companies with strong volunteer programs often experience higher levels of employee engagement, job satisfaction, and loyalty. After all, employees are more likely to stay at a company that offers meaningful experiences outside the office.
  3. Increased Team Collaboration Volunteering as a team can strengthen relationships between employees. Whether it’s working on a community garden or preparing meals together, these activities encourage collaboration, improve communication, and promote teamwork in a non-work setting. These bonds often translate into stronger workplace dynamics.
  4. Attracting Top Talent Many job seekers today are looking for more than just competitive salaries—they want to work for companies that align with their values. A strong corporate volunteerism program can be a draw for top talent, especially millennials and Gen Z workers who prioritize social impact and community involvement.

Employee benefits

  1. Personal Fulfillment Volunteering offers employees the chance to make a tangible difference in their communities, providing them with a sense of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. Giving back allows employees to connect to causes they care about and see the direct impact of their efforts.
  2. Skill Development Corporate volunteerism often involves tasks outside of an employee’s typical job role, giving them the opportunity to develop new skills. From leadership and project management to problem-solving and communication, volunteering provides valuable, transferable experience that can benefit employees in their professional lives.
  3. Building Relationships Volunteering alongside coworkers helps employees strengthen relationships and foster a greater sense of camaraderie. These activities can break down departmental silos and lead to deeper personal and professional connections.
  4. Health and Well-being Studies have shown that volunteering can improve mental and physical well-being. For employees, volunteering can reduce stress, improve mood, and increase life satisfaction. The sense of purpose that comes with giving back contributes to overall happiness.

In sum, corporate volunteerism is a win-win-win—for nonprofits, companies, and employees alike. When thoughtfully implemented, volunteer programs do far more than check a CSR box—they create lasting value across communities, workplaces, and individual lives.

See how Double the Donation helps uncover corporate volunteerism opportunities

Best practices for maximizing corporate volunteer opportunities

To make the most of corporate volunteerism, both nonprofits and companies need to approach the process strategically. Here are some best practices for maximizing the impact and value of corporate volunteer opportunities:

Market corporate volunteer opportunities to your supporters.

One of the most powerful ways to maximize corporate volunteerism is by effectively marketing volunteer opportunities to your supporters. Engaged volunteers often become advocates for your cause, so it’s essential to promote volunteer opportunities in a way that resonates with them.

To ensure you reach the widest audience, we recommend promoting volunteer opportunities across various channels—including email newsletters, social media, your website, and direct outreach to existing corporate partners. Tailor your messaging to appeal to the values and interests of each group, whether they’re employees looking for team-building experiences or company leaders seeking ways to give back.

Further, people want to know that their time and effort will make a tangible difference. When marketing corporate volunteer opportunities, emphasize the direct impact volunteers will have on the community. Share success stories from previous volunteer events, showing the positive change created by past corporate support.

Collect employment data from volunteers as they engage.

Collecting employment data from volunteers helps you create more tailored, effective volunteer experiences while improving future program management. This data can also be beneficial for tracking skills and assessing volunteer impact.

Get started by encouraging volunteers to provide their employing company as they register for an event (Double the Donation integrates with several leading volunteer registration platforms to make this easy as can be!). After all, knowing where they work allows you to uncover corporate volunteer opportunities such as volunteer grants, VTO programs, and more!

Encourage accurate scheduling and hour-tracking.

Accurate scheduling and hour-tracking are crucial for both measuring the impact of corporate volunteer programs and ensuring a smooth volunteer experience. By implementing best practices in scheduling, you can maintain organization and maximize volunteer engagement.

Therefore, we suggest utilizing platforms that allow employees to sign up for shifts, track their hours, and manage volunteer tasks online. These tools are often integrated with email reminders and notifications, helping employees keep track of their commitments and ensuring that no corporate volunteer opportunities slip through the cracks.

Identify top companies in your network.

A key way to maximize corporate volunteerism is by fostering partnerships with businesses within your network. Building these relationships not only boosts volunteer engagement but also creates long-term, sustainable support for your nonprofit.

Start by reaching out to businesses that you already have relationships with, whether they are your supporters’ employers, existing sponsors, or community partners. These companies may already be invested in your mission and could be eager to get their employees involved. Nurture these existing connections by offering tailored volunteer opportunities that align with both their business goals and your nonprofit’s needs. Plus, many will already have programs like volunteer grants, VTO, and more!

5 Leading corporate volunteerism examples

Many companies have developed innovative and impactful corporate volunteerism programs that have made a significant difference in their communities. These businesses not only encourage their employees to get involved but also demonstrate how corporate volunteerism can drive long-term positive change.

Here are five standout examples of corporate volunteerism programs that are leading the way:

1. Disney

Disney’s corporate volunteerism program, Disney VoluntEARS, is one of the most well-known and impactful volunteer initiatives in the corporate world. Since its launch in 1983, the program has been a core part of Disney’s commitment to community engagement. Disney encourages its employees, known as VoluntEARS, to give back through various volunteering opportunities, including through volunteer grants, paid VTO, and other employee-driven initiatives.

Over the course of the program, Disney VoluntEARS have donated millions of hours to communities around the world. This initiative has been instrumental in supporting causes related to children’s education, environmental conservation, and helping those in need.

Learn more about Disney’s corporate volunteer programs.

2. Patagonia

Patagonia has long been committed to environmental activism and corporate responsibility, and its Patagonia Action Works Program is a natural extension of this ethos. Patagonia’s volunteerism efforts focus on creating positive environmental change through grassroots activism, collaboration, and community engagement.

Patagonia encourages employees to engage in volunteer activities that align with the company’s mission to protect and restore the environment. They provide time off for activism and volunteering⁠—including a three-month paid internship opportunity⁠—allowing staff to engage in activities like conservation, environmental education, and sustainability.

Learn more about Patagonia’s corporate volunteer programs.

3. Microsoft

Microsoft’s volunteer program focuses heavily on skills-based volunteering, where employees contribute their professional expertise to support nonprofit organizations. The program leverages employees’ technical, business, and marketing skills to help nonprofits solve challenges and build their organizational capacity.

Microsoft also offers a matching hour (or volunteer grant) program, where they match employee volunteer hours with donations to nonprofit organizations, effectively amplifying the impact of volunteer efforts. Employees who volunteer with approved organizations can apply for grants through Microsoft’s giving program, further extending the company’s support to the nonprofits they work with.

Learn more about Microsoft’s corporate volunteer programs.

4. Home Depot

Home Depot’s corporate volunteerism program, Team Depot, is a testament to the company’s commitment to building stronger communities. The program allows Home Depot associates to volunteer for service projects, with a special focus on supporting veterans, communities in need, and improving public spaces.

Home Depot’s Team Depot program has helped improve thousands of homes for veterans, supported hundreds of community organizations, and provided disaster relief in areas across the U.S. The company’s volunteers have donated millions of hours to these efforts, making a significant impact on local communities.

Learn more about Home Depot’s corporate volunteer programs.

5. ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil’s Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP) provides employees with the opportunity to give back to their communities through volunteer activities, while also offering financial support to nonprofits. This program has been a cornerstone of ExxonMobil’s community engagement strategy.

Through VIP, ExxonMobil matches employees’ volunteer hours with financial donations to qualifying nonprofit organizations. This financial support helps extend the impact of employee volunteer efforts, with a particularly strong impact in areas like education, health, and environmental sustainability.

Learn more about ExxonMobil’s corporate volunteer programs.


Wrapping up & additional corporate volunteerism resources

Corporate volunteerism offers far more than just extra hands—it provides nonprofits with access to professional skills, new networks, and powerful advocates. By being strategic about engagement, communication, and follow-up, nonprofits can transform one-time events into ongoing collaborations that drive lasting impact.

For companies, the benefits extend beyond community good—they include improved employee morale, stronger team cohesion, and a more meaningful brand presence. When done right, corporate volunteerism becomes a powerful force for change, bridging the gap between business goals and community needs.

Interested in learning more about corporate volunteerism and beyond? Check out these additional recommended resources:

See how Double the Donation helps uncover corporate volunteerism opportunities

Tips & Ideas Solicit the Best Auction Items for Nonprofits

Tips & Ideas: Solicit the Best Auction Items for Nonprofits

Whether you’re planning a silent auction, live gala, or virtual fundraiser, one thing is for certain: the success of your auction actively hinges on the quality of your items. Soliciting standout donations isn’t just about asking for “stuff”—securing auction items for nonprofits is about curating a range of experiences and offerings that excite your audience and drive bids.

The good news? With the right strategy and a little creativity on your side, you can secure high-value, buzzworthy items that spark competition and maximize your fundraising impact.

In this post, we’ll explore proven tips and ideas to help your nonprofit solicit the best auction items—from reaching out to your network to finding unique experiences that can’t be bought in stores. We’ll cover the following:


Whether you’re a seasoned development pro or you’re organizing an auction for the first time, these insights will help you build an item list that gets your supporters talking—and bidding. Let’s begin!

Top tips for soliciting nonprofit auction items

Securing great auction items doesn’t have to be stressful—it just requires the right mix of planning, outreach, and imagination. These expert-proven best practices will help you source items that not only attract bids but also support your fundraising goals.

Start the process early.

The earlier you begin your outreach, the more time you have to follow up, get creative, and secure high-value donations. Create a timeline and checklist, and prioritize your top prospects first—you certainly don’t want to be rushing in the final weeks of event planning.

Know what sells for your audience.

Before you start requesting donations, take time to understand what your audience is most likely to bid on. Review past auction data, survey your supporters, or simply observe what’s trending in your community. Are they foodies? Travelers? Sports lovers? Parents?

Then, use this insight to guide your item wish list. For example, a family-oriented crowd might love museum passes or kids’ activity packages, while a young professional audience might gravitate toward fitness memberships, concert tickets, or trendy experiences. Knowing your audience ensures your auction items are both desirable and relevant—two essential ingredients for competitive bidding.

Look for connections within your network.

Your biggest asset is your existing community. Ask your board members, staff, volunteers, and donors if they have connections to businesses, services, or experiences that could be donated. Many people are happy to help, but just need a clear and specific ask.

Target open in-kind donation applications.

Many national and regional companies offer structured in-kind donation programs—you just have to know where to look. From airline tickets and hotel stays to beauty products and event swag, these companies have online portals where nonprofits can apply directly for donations.

To get started, compile a list of brands and businesses that align with your cause or audience, and check their websites (or use a database tool like Double the Donation) for donation request forms.

Focus on unique or exclusive items.

In a sea of auction baskets, the rare and exclusive items are what truly stand out. Think limited-edition merchandise, signed memorabilia, or experiences that money can’t typically buy—like lunch with a local celebrity, a behind-the-scenes studio tour, or VIP access to a community event.

These kinds of offerings generate buzz and encourage higher bidding because they feel special and hard to replicate. As you solicit donations from companies and individuals alike, ask potential donors: “What can you offer that people can’t find anywhere else?” Framing the ask this way often inspires creative, one-of-a-kind contributions.

Ask for experiences, not just products.

Physical items are great, but experience-based auction packages often generate higher bids. Think weekend getaways, private dinners, VIP tours, behind-the-scenes access, or even “day in the life” experiences with local influencers or professionals.

You don’t have to be able to touch something for it to be a good auction item!

Package donations together to create high-value bundles.

Rather than offering a large number of standalone items, group smaller donations into themed packages that tell a story. For example, you might combine restaurant gift cards, wine, and movie passes into a “Date Night” bundle.

As a general rule, themes make your auction items more appealing and easier to market for larger bid amounts.

Exchange goods and services for marketing and exposure.

Many businesses are happy to donate to fundraising events—not just to support a cause, but also for the increased visibility. Therefore, when making your ask, you’ll want to clearly outline how their support will be promoted before, during, and after your event.

This may include:

  • Logos on signage, programs, or event pages
  • Social media shoutouts or blog mentions
  • Verbal recognition during the auction
  • And more!

All in all, position the donation as a marketing opportunity. Let them know you’re not just asking for help—you’re offering a chance to connect with a community that supports socially responsible businesses. This win-win approach can open more doors and encourage repeat donations.

See how Double the Donation helps uncover auction items for nonprofits

Our recommendations: 10 best auction items for nonprofits

Looking for auction items that spark excitement, inspire generous bids, and bring in big results? We’ve got you covered. Based on what consistently performs well at fundraising auctions—both in-person and online—here are our top 10 recommended items to include in your next nonprofit auction.

1. Getaway packages or vacation homes

What It Is:
Weekend retreats, mountain cabins, beach condos, or even donated timeshares—travel-related auction items are always a top draw.

Vacation stays as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
A change of scenery is something almost everyone wants. These packages feel indulgent, exciting, and perfect for people looking to relax or celebrate. They also tend to fetch higher bids because they’re often worth hundreds—or thousands—of dollars.

Where to Find It:
Ask board members, major donors, or other supporters who may have second homes or vacation properties. You can also approach boutique hotels, vacation home hosts, or rental companies that want local exposure.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to companies like Marriott, Airbnb, Hilton, and more.

2. Dining and culinary experiences

What It Is:
Gift cards to local restaurants, cooking classes, wine-paired dinners, or private chef-prepared meals.

Dining packages as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
Everyone eats, and many people love to dine out or learn new culinary skills. A well-curated food experience feels both luxurious and accessible, making it a popular auction item across all age groups.

Where to Find It:
Reach out to restaurants, chefs, catering companies, and local food tour operators. Many are open to donating in exchange for promotion, especially during slower seasons.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to companies like Whole Foods Market, Darden Restaurants, Bloomin’ Brands, and more.

3. Sports and concert tickets

What It Is:
Tickets to live sporting events, concerts, theater performances, or comedy shows—especially VIP packages, meet-and-greets, or front-row seats.

Sports events as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
Live events are a hot commodity, particularly when tickets are hard to get or sell out quickly. These items are ideal for bidders looking for a unique night out or a gift experience for a loved one.

Where to Find It:
Ask season ticket holders, alumni organizations, sports franchises, or venues directly. Many performers or teams also have donation request programs on their websites.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to NFL teams, MLB teams, NBA teams, concert venues, and more.

4. Health and wellness services

What It Is:
Spa treatments, massage sessions, yoga or fitness memberships, acupuncture, or even wellness retreats.

Wellness classes as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
These offerings are popular because they feel restorative and indulgent. Whether someone is looking to relax or commit to self-care, wellness packages always attract interest, especially among busy professionals and parents.

Where to Find It:
Contact local spas, wellness studios, massage therapists, or holistic health practitioners. Many are willing to donate in exchange for new client exposure.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to companies like Planet Fitness, Massage Envy, and more.

5. Classes and workshops

What It Is:
Photography lessons, art classes, dance sessions, or one-on-one coaching in a specific skill or hobby.

Classes and workshops as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
People love learning something new, especially when it’s hands-on and fun. These experiences offer personal enrichment and a creative outlet, making them great gift items as well.

Where to Find It:
Connect with local artists, teachers, studios, or continuing education providers. Independent instructors are often happy to donate a session or workshop for a good cause in addition to exposure opportunities.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to art workshops, dance studios, local museums, and more.

6. Wine and craft beer baskets

What It Is:
Curated collections of wine, local craft beers, tasting kits, or even tours of wineries or breweries.

Wine baskets as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
These items offer a combination of luxury and leisure, especially when packaged with exciting snacks or high-quality glassware. They’re perfect for date nights, social gatherings, or cozy evenings at home.

Where to Find It:
Reach out to wineries, breweries, liquor stores, and distributors. Some local beverage companies may also offer branded merchandise to add to the basket.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Total Wine & More, and more.

7. Home services and décor

What It Is:
Interior design consultations, landscaping services, cleaning packages, handyman work, or home décor pieces like framed art or handmade furniture.

Home/decor services as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
People love upgrading their spaces but often put it off due to cost or time restraints. Offering home improvement or beautification services can turn a need into a treat, making it a smart, practical auction item.

Where to Find It:
Local interior designers, contractors, cleaning services, and artisans may donate a session or product in exchange for exposure and lead generation.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to Home Depot, Lowe’s, TruGreen, and more.

8. Tech gadgets and accessories

What It Is:
Tablets, smartwatches, headphones, smart speakers, or other trending technology items.

Tech gadgets as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
Gadgets are fun, functional, and universally appealing—especially when they’re new or hard to find. These items make great holiday gifts and tend to draw competitive bidding.

Where to Find It:
Approach electronics retailers, tech companies, or corporate partners. Some businesses may be willing to donate new or overstock items as a tax-deductible gift.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to Best Buy, Apple, Dell Technologies, and more.

9. Kid-friendly/family experiences

What It Is:
Museum passes, zoo memberships, amusement park tickets, or family-focused activity bundles (like mini-golf, skating, or movie nights).

Family activities as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
Families are always looking for affordable, fun ways to spend time together. These items are especially appealing to parents and grandparents seeking memorable experiences for kids.

Where to Find It:
Contact local attractions, entertainment centers, and kid-focused businesses. They often donate to schools and nonprofits for community goodwill.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to Universal Studios, Walt Disney Company, Six Flags, and more.

10. Pet-themed baskets

What It Is:
Bundles of pet toys, treats, grooming certificates, training sessions, or even custom pet portraits.

Pet-themed baskets as auction items for nonprofits

Why It’s Appealing:
Pet owners love to spoil their furry friends, and pet-themed packages are both fun and sentimental. They’re also a great conversation starter at auctions!

Where to Find It:
Reach out to pet boutiques, groomers, dog trainers, or local artists. You can even partner with pet food brands or veterinarians to build a deluxe “pamper your pet” bundle.

To start your search, we recommend reaching out to Petco, Pet Supermarket, PetSmart, and more.


Wrapping up & additional charity auction resources

Auction items for nonprofits generally don’t just appear—they’re thoughtfully sourced through strong relationships, smart outreach, and a clear understanding of what your audience values most. By tapping into your community, crafting compelling asks, and focusing on quality over quantity, you can create an auction lineup that inspires generous giving and supports your mission in a big way.

Remember: it’s not about having the most items; it’s about having the right ones. With these tips and ideas in hand, your next auction can be your most successful yet. Happy bidding—and even happier fundraising!

For more information, check out these additional recommended resources:

See how Double the Donation helps uncover auction items for nonprofits

Title of the post, "Data-driven talent recruitment strategies for nonprofits"

3 Data-Driven Talent Recruitment Strategies for Nonprofits

Nonprofits like yours are experiencing a declining market share of talent compared to businesses in most industries. So, your team needs to make up lost ground in your hiring to continue providing the best services for your community. However, if your nonprofit is like most, hiring is on the back burner—meaning you might not even have a dedicated recruitment strategy.

Spending the time to cultivate a recruitment strategy is well worth it, though—you’re more likely to attract the candidates that best suit your mission if you know exactly what kind of addition your team needs.

In this guide, we’ll review how to kick off your recruitment strategy with the most objective resource at your disposal—recruitment data—to fuel your long-term growth.

1. Define Key Performance Indicators

Launching a data-driven recruitment strategy can quickly become complex. However, you can proactively beat information fatigue by selecting key performance indicators (KPIs) at the beginning of your planning process.

Incorporating hiring-based KPIs into your workflow doesn’t have to be complicated! After all, you likely already use KPI methodology to benchmark success for your fundraising campaigns, volunteer engagement initiatives, and more. All you need to do is understand what different hiring metrics mean and how they fit into your nonprofit’s overarching strategy. 

To get started, JazzHR’s guide to data-driven recruitment suggests focusing on the following metrics and associated goals:

  • Improving long-term hiring quality:
    • Quality of hire: The ratings of new candidates by their managers during their time with the nonprofit (usually assessed one or two months after they’ve been hired).
    • Employee retention rate: The percentage of employees who stay on with your nonprofit after a certain amount of time (usually one year).
    • Sourcing channel effectiveness: The measures of which recruiting channels yield the most and best hires.
    • Hiring manager satisfaction: The measure of how satisfied hiring managers are with the recruitment process and chosen candidates (usually assessed once per year).
  • Boosting short-term recruitment efficiency:
    • Offer acceptance rate: The percentage of applicants accepting hiring offers out of the total number of extended offers.
    • Average cost of hire: The measure of how much money your nonprofit spends on recruiting each new hire.
    • Recruiting and hiring speed: The average amount of time it takes to move candidates through your hiring funnel.
  • Making your recruitment program more engaging:
    • Qualitative candidate feedback score: The average numerical rating your candidates have for the different parts of your hiring process.
    • Nurture engagement levels: Your candidate-facing recruitment materials’ open, click-through, and response rates.
    • Funnel conversion rates: The measure of how far prospects advance through your recruitment funnel on average.

It’s important to note that some of this data comes from quantitative data tracking, and some comes from asking for qualitative feedback from candidates and hiring staff. Be sure your strategy includes both of these types of data to access the most holistic insights.

2. Use an Applicant Tracking System

Now that you know which hiring KPIs to look for, track and analyze these metrics to pull actionable insights from them. Nonprofits with more straightforward hiring needs usually rely on spreadsheets to track hiring KPIs. While this is a budget-friendly solution, it can’t easily scale with your nonprofit as you grow over time.

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the best choice for nonprofit teams looking to supercharge their approach. These systems are built to streamline nonprofit recruiting processes from the initial planning stage to onboarding. Specifically, the best hiring software solutions on the market can:

  • Automate routine, mundane tasks
  • Facilitate collaboration across your organization 
  • Engage candidates
  • Collect and report on custom KPIs visually
  • Track candidate information in profiles
  • Segment candidates into active and passive talent pools
  • Manage recruitment marketing campaigns
  • Scale with your hiring needs

Leveraging these tools gives your organization a unique edge over others in your field. However, if your nonprofit doesn’t have the budget or capacity to adopt a full-scale hiring solution, don’t worry—you can start small with point solutions. For instance, if you mainly struggle with scheduling interviews, you might use a standalone scheduling tool to start and gradually add to your hiring stack when you have the resources.

3. Optimize Job Descriptions and Postings

Studies show that while 72% of hiring managers believe they provide accurate job descriptions, only 36% of job-seekers agree. As the first touchpoint candidates have with your organization, the quality of job descriptions or postings can make or break their decision to actually apply to your nonprofit. 

By actively paying attention to and improving your job descriptions, you can spot gaps in your strategy and make great first impressions on future team members. Kickstart your efforts by:

  • Analyzing KPIs related to online job postings. These might be anything from click-through rate to time spent on the page to the total number of users your postings get served. Some job board sites, like Indeed, offer employers custom insights based on their collected data. Or, if you host your job postings on your site, you could monitor website metrics through your web design platform.
  • Surveying candidates and current employees. Various individuals involved in hiring can pick up on opportunities for improvement based on their unique perspectives. Collect feedback from current candidates, recent hires, and even seasoned team members to pinpoint gaps in your job descriptions.
  • Researching what other organizations are doing. Comparative research is always helpful in determining how to better compete with other hiring organizations. Look into job postings for your vertical and for companies that have notable recruiting success—just  keep in mind that those companies have big-brand name recognition on their side!

On that note, it’s crucial to feature your employer brand in your job descriptions. Make sure you use recognizable branded elements, such as your logo and slogan, across your job descriptions to maintain consistency across multiple job platforms.

When managing a large data pool, becoming flooded by facts and figures can make the process much more challenging for your team. However, you can avoid this common pitfall by adhering to data hygiene standards—conducting regular audits, removing duplicate data, and appendig missing data.

Remember that you have experience collecting data for fundraising campaigns, and as long as you apply the same general principles to managing your hiring data, you’ll have actionable insights in no time.

Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies

Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies?

In today’s business landscape, more and more companies are prioritizing corporate social responsibility (or CSR) as a core part of their mission. From environmental sustainability to community outreach and charitable giving, socially responsible companies are making a meaningful impact on the world.

As a nonprofit, it’s crucial to recognize how this trend can benefit your organization. After all, your donors may already be working for companies that offer corporate giving programs, like matching gifts or volunteer grants, that can double or even triple their impact. But are you leveraging these opportunities to their fullest potential?

In this post, we’ll explore how nonprofits can tap into relationships with companies leading the way in CSR to maximize their support and engage donors in new and impactful ways. Specifically, we’ll cover the following:

Discovering which of your donors work for socially responsible companies could unlock significant support for your mission. Ready to find out how you can do so with ease? Let’s begin with the basics.

What Defines a Socially Responsible Company?

A socially responsible company is one that integrates ethical, sustainable, and community-focused practices into its core operations. These businesses recognize that their success is intertwined with the well-being of society, and they actively seek to make a positive impact on their employees, customers, communities, and the environment.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all model of social responsibility, check out a few characteristics that generally define a socially responsible company:

Characteristics of socially responsible companies

  1. Environmental Sustainability
    Companies strive to reduce their environmental impact by adopting eco-friendly practices. This may involve reducing waste, conserving energy, using renewable resources, and implementing sustainable supply chain management.
  2. Ethical Business Practices
    Socially responsible companies maintain high ethical standards in all areas of business, from fair labor practices and diversity initiatives to transparency in governance and decision-making.
  3. Economic Responsibility
    Rather than chasing short-term profits, socially responsible companies focus on long-term growth that benefits both the business and society. They aim to create a positive, lasting impact on their stakeholders, which includes employees, customers, shareholders, and the broader community.
  4. Philanthropic Engagement
    Many socially responsible companies actively invest in the communities where they operate. This includes supporting local charities, offering volunteer time off (VTO) for employees to participate in community service, and implementing corporate giving programs like matching gifts and volunteer grants.

By embracing these practices, socially responsible companies build trust with consumers and employees, foster loyalty, and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world. Not to mention, these efforts not only benefit society but often lead to better business performance as well.

  • CLMA badge for socially responsible companiesTop tip: Keep an eye out for the Certified Leaders in Matching Automation badge to quickly identify socially responsible companies with matching gift auto-submission enabled. These employers are devoted to making matching gifts as easy as possible, demonstrating their commitment to CSR and beyond.

10 Socially Responsible Companies to Know

As a nonprofit, familiarity with leading companies practicing corporate social responsibility is a must. After all, understanding which companies make a point to give back allows nonprofits to better engage donors who work for these businesses. And, in doing so, they can more effectively tap into additional resources such as corporate matchesvolunteer support, and even broader partnership opportunities.

Check out these examples to get started:

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _Chipotle

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? No
Volunteer time off? Yes

CLMA badge for socially responsible companies

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a popular fast-casual restaurant chain known for its commitment to using responsibly sourced ingredients and offering fresh, customizable meals. As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, Chipotle emphasizes environmental sustainability, humane animal practices, and ethical sourcing.

The company also gives back through community outreach and charitable initiatives, including its standout matching gifts program, which allows employees to double their contributions to nonprofits of their choice. In order to optimize the employee experience within its matching gift program, Chipotle has implemented matching gift auto-submission, too, earning it the CLMA designation for Certified Leaders in Matching Automation.

Furthermore, Chipotle promotes social responsibility through its volunteer time off (VTO) policy, enabling employees to take up to 8 hours of paid time to participate in volunteer work. These efforts reflect Chipotle’s dedication to making a positive impact both in the food industry and within local communities.

Learn more about Chipotle’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _Patagonia

Patagonia

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? No
Volunteer time off? Yes

Patagonia, a renowned outdoor apparel company, is deeply committed to environmental and social causes, with sustainability at the core of its mission. Patagonia’s CSR initiatives are broad, encompassing environmental activism, ethical labor practices, and sustainable product design.

The company also encourages employee engagement through its matching gifts program, doubling employee donations to environmental, social, and other nonprofits. Meanwhile, Patagonia supports employees in taking action through its volunteer time off (VTO) policy, allowing them to dedicate generous amounts of time to causes they care about, often with a focus on environmental restoration.

Patagonia’s commitment to CSR is rooted in its mission to preserve the planet, and it actively partners with organizations that align with this goal.

Learn more about Patagonia’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _Danone

Danone North America

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? No
Volunteer time off? Yes

CLMA badge for socially responsible companies

Danone North America is a multinational food and beverage company known for its dairy products, plant-based alternatives, and bottled water brands. The company is dedicated to promoting health through food while driving environmental sustainability and social equity. Danone North America’s CSR efforts include a strong emphasis on environmental stewardship, sustainable sourcing, and community involvement.

To encourage employee involvement in philanthropy, Danone North America offers a CLMA-designated matching gifts program, amplifying employees’ charitable donations to eligible nonprofits. Plus, the company supports community engagement through volunteer time off, allowing employees to contribute up to 16 hours each year to causes they are passionate about.

Learn more about Danone’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _CVS Health

CVS Health

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? Yes
Volunteer time off? Yes

CVS Health, a major pharmacy and healthcare provider, integrates social responsibility into its mission of promoting health and wellness. The company’s CSR efforts focus on expanding access to healthcare, addressing public health challenges, and supporting underserved communities.

CVS Health also enhances its social impact through matching gifts and volunteer grants, allowing employees to increase their donations and volunteer contributions to nonprofits. Additionally, CVS promotes employee involvement in community service through volunteer time off, providing paid time for employees to engage in volunteer work.

Learn more about CVS Health’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _Disney

Walt Disney Company

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? Yes
Volunteer time off? Yes

The Walt Disney Company is a global leader in entertainment, known for its iconic films, theme parks, and media networks. Beyond entertainment, Disney’s CSR efforts are comprehensive, with a focus on environmental sustainability, charitable giving, and promoting education.

Disney offers both matching gifts and volunteer grants to encourage employees to support causes they care about. The company also promotes community engagement through volunteer time off, allowing employees to give back during paid work hours.

Disney’s wide-reaching CSR initiatives include funding for children’s hospitals, environmental conservation programs, and educational outreach, all of which align with its mission to create positive change in communities worldwide.

Learn more about Disney’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _Warner Media

Warner Media

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? Yes
Volunteer time off? Yes

Warner Media is a leading media and entertainment company recognized for its extensive film, television, and digital content production. As part of its CSR strategy, Warner Media prioritizes diversity, inclusion, environmental responsibility, and community engagement.

The company also offers matching gifts and volunteer grants, empowering employees to increase their financial contributions and volunteer efforts to nonprofits. Warner Media also provides volunteer time off, encouraging employees to give back to their communities while receiving regular pay.

Through its CSR programs, Warner Media fosters a culture of giving, social responsibility, and sustainability, aligning its corporate values with the interests of its employees and society at large.

Learn more about Warner Media’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? No
Volunteer time off? Yes

CLMA badge for socially responsible companies

ActiveCampaign, a marketing automation platform, is committed to making a positive impact through its CSR initiatives, which focus on community development and employee engagement.

The company encourages its employees to give back through a CLMA-designated matching gifts program, doubling charitable donations made to eligible nonprofits more easily than ever before. In addition, ActiveCampaign offers volunteer time off, allowing employees to dedicate paid time to volunteer with organizations that align with their values.

These programs reflect ActiveCampaign’s belief in the power of community and its desire to empower employees to contribute to causes that matter to them, both financially and through volunteer service.

Learn more about ActiveCampaign’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _Toyota Connected

Toyota Connected

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? No
Volunteer time off? No

CLMA badge for socially responsible companies

Toyota Connected is a division of Toyota that focuses on creating innovative connected technologies and data-driven solutions for the automotive industry. While Toyota Connected has a technological focus, it also embraces corporate social responsibility.

One way that it does so is through its matching gifts program, which doubles employee donations to qualifying nonprofits. This initiative has auto-submission enabled, allowing employees to complete their matching gift requests straight from their favorite organizations’ giving pages!

Learn more about Toyota Connected’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _Harvard

Harvard University Employees Credit Union

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? No
Volunteer time off? No

CLMA badge for socially responsible companies

Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU) is a member-owned financial institution serving the Harvard University community and its affiliates. As part of its CSR efforts, HUECU focuses on financial education, community development, and charitable giving.

The credit union also supports employee philanthropy through a matching gifts program, enabling employees to increase their charitable donations through corporate matches. Its CLMA-designated matching gifts initiative demonstrates a commitment to supporting the causes that matter to its employees and fostering positive community impact through financial contributions.

Learn more about Harvard University’s socially responsible giving programs here.

NPO Info_Do Your Donors Work For Socially Responsible Companies _BerlinRosen

BerlinRosen

Matching gifts? Yes
Volunteer grants? No
Volunteer time off? No

CLMA badge for socially responsible companies

BerlinRosen is a strategic communications firm known for its work in public affairs, advocacy, and social impact campaigns. The company’s CSR efforts are rooted in its dedication to promoting progressive causes, diversity, and social justice.

Additionally, BerlinRosen encourages employee giving through its matching gifts program, multiplying employee donations to a wide range of nonprofits and schools. And with auto-submission functionality enabled, it’s quick and easy for its employees to get involved!

Learn more about BerlinRosen’s socially responsible giving programs here.

Get support from socially responsible companies with 360MatchPro.

Identifying Socially Responsible Companies in Your Network

The above companies form a representative sample of socially responsible employers. But there are tens of thousands more businesses participating in CSR⁠—and it would be impossible to list them all.

That said, there are a few strategies that can be employed in order to uncover top companies devoted to CSR with existing connections to your donor base. These include the following:

Manual Research

The first step you might want to take is to perform a series of manual research tasks. For example:

  • Screening publicly available donor information to uncover employment insights (often using LinkedIn or other online resources).
  • Reaching out to donors directly to request employer information (e.g., sending an optional survey via email).
  • Visiting the websites of identified companies to explore their CSR or corporate philanthropy sections.
  • Engaging with donors to request information about their employers’ giving programs, community engagement efforts, and more.

While it requires significant investments of time and resources to conduct this research on your own, keep in mind that it’s possible to uncover some invaluable insights this way.

Workplace Giving Software

The next option involves automating the processes of collecting and leveraging employment information using the right tools in your tech stack. Specifically, by implementing (and integrating) a workplace giving platform like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro, you can glean employment insights directly as donors give.

From there, the solution automatically screens against the industry’s leading corporate giving database to flag opportunities for matching gifts, volunteer grants, VTO programs, and other corporate giving initiatives.

Use workplace giving software to uncover socially responsible companies in your network

In order to drive supporter engagement with the tool, you can even embed the company search tool directly into your website, donation forms, volunteer registration pages, and more.

Employer Appends

Even after incorporating workplace giving software to collect employment information as supporters engage with your cause, there’s a good chance you’ll have some gaps in your records. For this, we recommend outsourcing your research process to a third-party data enhancement service provider like NPO Info by Double the Donation.

Here’s how it works:

  • You’ll provide the data enhancement company with the information you have about your donors (names, engagement histories, contact details, etc.).
  • The enhancement company will scan the information you provide against a series of publicly available and privately held data sources to uncover relevant information and fill in the gaps.
  • Your organization will receive the finalized employer append record, along with information about the uncovered companies’ matching gifts and other giving programs.

Use employer appends to uncover socially responsible companies in your network

Once you have the information, your team can use the uncovered insights to tailor your outreach efforts and grow your relationship with the appropriate donors and their employers alike.


Final Thoughts & Additional Resources

Partnering with socially responsible companies opens up a world of possibilities for your nonprofit or school. Whether through matching gifts, volunteer grants, or other corporate philanthropy initiatives, these opportunities allow your donors to do more with their contributions.

Don’t miss out on the potential for additional funding and support. Start building stronger relationships with your corporate partners⁠—and their employees⁠—today. Your donors are ready to amplify their impact, and with the right tools and strategies, your organization can thrive.

Interested in seeing how your team can benefit from socially responsible companies like these? Check out the following materials to learn more:

Get support from socially responsible companies with 360MatchPro.

Volunteer Time Off Programs- A Smart Nonprofit’s VTO Guide

Volunteer Time Off Programs: A Smart Nonprofit’s VTO Guide

In today’s socially conscious landscape, companies are increasingly embracing Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that benefit both their employees and the communities they serve. One standout program that fits both criteria is Volunteer Time Off, which offers employees paid time to volunteer for causes they’re passionate about.

For nonprofits, understanding how to tap into these VTO programs can open doors to a vast pool of dedicated volunteers. This guide will help nonprofits navigate the world of volunteer time off, offering strategies to engage employees who are looking for meaningful ways to give back through their company-sponsored volunteerism. And we’ll do so by answering the following frequently asked questions:

To fully leverage Volunteer Time Off programs, nonprofits need a solid understanding of how they work, why companies offer them, and the benefits these programs bring. By exploring the answers to these key questions, organizations like yours can position themselves to attract more corporate volunteers, build lasting partnerships, and maximize the impact of VTO.

Without further ado, let’s start by addressing the fundamental question: What is Volunteer Time Off?

What is Volunteer Time Off?

Volunteer Time Off⁠—also known as VTO⁠—is a corporate benefit that allows employees to take paid time off from work to volunteer for charitable or community service activities. This time off is typically offered above and beyond any other forms of leave (like vacation or sick days), as it’s specifically designated for volunteerism.

Definition of Volunteer Time Off

VTO encourages employees to engage in community service, support nonprofits, and contribute to causes they care about⁠—without having to give up their pay or schedule around existing work commitments. This makes it easier for individuals to participate in volunteer activities, driving additional support for nonprofit causes.

Within the programs, companies generally establish policies regarding how much VTO is available per year (often between 8 and 40 hours) and may specify eligible nonprofits or activities.

Why do companies offer Volunteer Time Off?

Companies offer Volunteer Time Off for several reasons, often tied to their broader Corporate Social Responsibility (or CSR) goals and employee engagement strategies.

Here are key reasons why companies implement VTO programs:

  1. Enhance Corporate Social Responsibility: Offering VTO allows companies to demonstrate their commitment to giving back to the community. It aligns their business with charitable and social causes, enhancing their CSR profile and showing that they prioritize social impact.
  2. Boost Employee Engagement and Morale: VTO empowers employees to contribute to causes they care about without sacrificing their income. This not only increases job satisfaction but also boosts overall morale and fosters a sense of purpose in the workplace.
  3. Attract and Retain Talent: Many employees, particularly those in the younger generations, prioritize working for companies that are socially responsible. VTO programs are an attractive benefit that can help companies recruit socially conscious talent and improve employee retention overall.
  4. Enhance Company Reputation: VTO programs reflect positively on a company’s public image. By showing a commitment to community service, companies improve their reputation with customers, clients, and the public, ultimately driving brand loyalty.
  5. Strengthen Community Ties: Companies that support local volunteer efforts build stronger relationships with the communities where they operate. These ties can lead to a more supportive business environment and potential partnerships with community organizations.

Overall, VTO programs allow companies to align their business objectives with meaningful social contributions, benefiting both their workforce and the communities they serve.

How do nonprofits benefit from Volunteer Time Off?

Nonprofits gain several valuable benefits when their supporters participate in Volunteer Time Off programs. These corporate-sponsored initiatives bring new resources, energy, and opportunities for collaboration. This includes benefits such as…

  1. Access to Skilled Volunteers: Employees who participate in VTO often bring diverse skill sets from their professional backgrounds, providing nonprofits with access to talent that might otherwise be unaffordable. This expertise can help nonprofits improve their operations in areas like marketing, finance, IT, and project management.
  2. Enhanced Volunteer Engagement: VTO programs encourage participation from employees who might not typically volunteer on their own. By tapping into these corporate volunteers, nonprofits can significantly expand their volunteer base and complete larger or more complex projects.
  3. Increased Awareness and Visibility: When employees share their volunteer experiences with their colleagues, friends, or others in their networks, it increases awareness of the nonprofit’s mission and activities. This exposure can attract more volunteers, donors, and supporters to your cause overall.
  4. Strengthened Corporate Relationships: Collaborating with companies through VTO programs strengthens a nonprofit’s relationship with the business community. These relationships can lead to further corporate giving opportunities, such as matching gifts, sponsorships, or event collaborations.

Scale up volunteer time off with Double the Donation Volunteering.

How can nonprofits market VTO opportunities to volunteers?

Nonprofits can effectively market Volunteer Time Off opportunities by targeting corporate employees and companies in ways that highlight the mutual benefits of the program.

Here are a few leading strategies to attract volunteers through VTO:

1. Create a Dedicated Corporate Volunteering Page:

Create a section on your nonprofit’s website specifically for corporate volunteering opportunities. Highlight how employees can utilize their VTO to support your cause and make it easy for them to sign up for upcoming events and activities.

Plus, to make identifying VTO programs as quick and simple as possible, we recommend embedding a corporate giving database directly into the page.

Marketing Volunteer Time Off - website example

2. Promote VTO in Volunteer Registration Forms:

Ensure your volunteer registration forms prominently feature Volunteer Time Off (VTO) options for corporate employees. Include an optional form field that asks whether the individual is using VTO, and make sure to collect employment information

n as you do so. This not only helps you track corporate volunteers but also allows you to tailor communications and deepen relationships with their employers.

To streamline the process, consider integrating your sign-up forms with a tool like Double the Donation Volunteering, making it easy for volunteers to check if their company offers VTO or other charitable programs.

Step 1)

Marketing Volunteer Time Off - sign-up form example

Step 2)

Marketing Volunteer Time Off - sign-up form example

3. Leverage Social Media:

Spread the word about Volunteer Time Off using your organization’s social media profiles! Share stories, photos, testimonials, and more⁠—highlighting past corporate volunteer groups to increase visibility and attract new supporters. (P.S. Double the Donation clients can access free, customizable marketing templates to promote VTO programs, volunteer grants, and more!)

Marketing Volunteer Time Off - social media example

You can even encourage current volunteers to share your VTO content with their networks, amplifying your outreach and increasing the likelihood of reaching more eligible supporters.

4. Send a Follow-Up Email:

After a corporate volunteer event, it’s essential to maintain engagement by sending a follow-up email to participants. In this email, express your gratitude for their contributions and share the impact of their efforts on your nonprofit’s mission. Additionally, remind them about their company’s Volunteer Time Off program and encourage them to utilize it for future volunteer opportunities with your organization (or to submit their paperwork to get credit for their most recent activity).

5. Partner with Companies:

Build relationships with businesses that have existing VTO programs. Reach out to HR departments or CSR managers and present your nonprofit’s mission and available volunteer opportunities as key ways for their employees to get involved.

For the best results, you can even organize tailored volunteer activities that align with a company’s core values or industry. For example, a tech company may be interested in hosting a coding workshop for underprivileged students, while a healthcare company might prefer to sponsor a community health fair or organize volunteer shifts at a local clinic.

Regardless, by taking a proactive approach and positioning your organization as a valuable partner for VTO, nonprofits can attract more corporate volunteers and create lasting relationships with companies that support meaningful community engagement.


Final Thoughts & Additional Resources

Volunteer Time Off supplies a win-win-win situation for everyone involved. From the companies offering the programs to the employees who participate and the nonprofits receiving their support, everyone benefits.

For nonprofits, knowing how to leverage these programs can lead to stronger community partnerships, increased volunteer participation, and greater impact. By positioning your organization as a go-to option for corporate volunteers, you not only gain valuable resources but also build lasting relationships that could lead to future support.

Embrace the potential of VTO. Then, watch your nonprofit thrive with the help of motivated, passionate volunteers⁠—and the support of their employers!

Ready to learn more about Volunteer Time Off and how you can benefit from the programs? Check out these additional resources:

Scale up volunteer time off with Double the Donation Volunteering.

A Complete Look at Volunteer Grants For Fundraisers

A Complete Look at Volunteer Grants For Fundraisers

Picture this: A small community center faces the threat of closure due to dwindling funds. Just as all hope seems lost, a group of employees from a nearby tech company begins volunteering with the organization on a regular basis. These volunteers revamp the center’s facilities and organize programs for local youth. Taking things even further, the volunteers’ company matches their hours with generous volunteer grants, ultimately providing the funding needed to keep the center open and serving its community.

This heartwarming story exemplifies the power of volunteerism—and the impact of volunteer grant programs—setting the stage for a deeper exploration of how these initiatives drive social change. And that’s exactly what this guide is here for!

Specifically, we’ll cover the following:

Volunteer grants have the potential to transform volunteerism for organizations like yours. Ready to learn everything you need to know to target these opportunities effectively in your efforts? Let’s begin.

What Are Volunteer Grants? The Basics

Volunteer grants (also called “Dollars for Doers”) are financial contributions provided by companies to support nonprofit organizations where their employees volunteer.

These grants typically match the hours employees spend volunteering (i.e., $25 for each hour volunteered), offering a monetary donation to the organization based on the volunteer time an individual logged.

This benefit encourages employee engagement in community service and enhances the impact of their volunteer efforts overall.

The Value of Volunteer Grants for Nonprofits & Schools

Volunteer grant programs offer significant value to nonprofits and schools by providing essential funding that enhances their programs and services. These grants can help…

  • Offset operational costs
  • Support new initiatives
  • Fund special projects that might otherwise be unattainable

Additionally, they encourage employee engagement, fostering a culture of giving back while increasing volunteer participation through tangible incentives. This collaboration not only strengthens community ties but also amplifies the impact of the organization’s mission, allowing it to reach more beneficiaries and achieve greater outcomes overall.

Scale up volunteer grants with Double the Donation Volunteering.

Essential Volunteer Grant Criteria to Know

Tons of companies offer volunteer grants—from the Fortune 500 to your local mom-and-pop shop down the street. However, each employer that implements a program is able to establish its own unique criteria for involvement.

While it can vary from one company to the next, most volunteer grant programs consider the following guidelines:

  • Employee eligibility — While some volunteer grant programs are exclusive to current, full-time employees, others are extended to part-time and retired individuals as well.
  • Cause eligibility — Many companies will provide grants to any registered 501(c)(3) organization. However, some select or exclude particular causes (often religious or political in nature) from qualifying for the programs.
  • Minimum volunteer hours — There’s generally a set number of hours an employee must reach in order to unlock a volunteer grant. Once they reach the minimum threshold, they can request a grant!
  • Grant amount — Some employers offer lump sum grant amounts (e.g., $500 after reaching 25 hours), while others pay out volunteer grants on an hourly basis (e.g., $25 per hour volunteered). According to 360MatchPro, 80% of companies with volunteer grant programs provide between $8 and $15 per hour!
  • Submission process and deadline — Most companies require volunteer grants to be requested within a certain time frame following the volunteer activity (often a few months to a year). The request process itself can also differ and may require the individual to submit a log of their time.

In order for a volunteer to qualify for and secure a grant on your organization’s behalf, their service should adhere to the above criteria. And the easiest way to uncover this information is with a volunteer grant database! All it takes is a quick search of a company name, and you (or your volunteers) can access employer-specific program guidelines and instructions in seconds.

Marketing Volunteer Grants to Your Supporters

Volunteer grants can have a significant impact on the organizations that receive them. However, they’re often an underutilized funding source, largely due to a lack of awareness among eligible volunteers.

As a result, nonprofits and schools are taking increasingly proactive steps to market these opportunities to their supporters. Here’s how we recommend doing so:

On your website

To effectively market volunteer grants to your nonprofit supporters, leveraging key marketing channels is essential. Starting with your website, create a dedicated page explaining what volunteer grants are, how they work, and how volunteers can apply for them.

This resource should also highlight companies that offer such grants (ideally by embedding a company search tool on the page), making it easier for volunteers to check if they’re eligible and to take the next steps outlined if so.

Within volunteer sign-up forms

Your volunteers are eager to support your cause⁠—especially while actively filling out a registration form for your organization. That said, it’s the perfect opportunity to promote corporate volunteer incentives such as volunteer grants and more.

Within your volunteer sign-up forms, begin integrating messaging about volunteer grants by asking for the volunteer’s employer information. You can even place a short note within the form that explains how their hours could unlock additional funding for your nonprofit. Then, after they sign up, follow up with each eligible supporter to encourage them to request the funds.

In your email communications

Your email communications are another powerful tool for promoting volunteer grants. Sending targeted emails to your volunteer base is an effective way to educate supporters about volunteer grant opportunities.

In these emails, explain how the programs work, the potential impact on your nonprofit, and how volunteers can apply for them through their employers.

Adding reminders about volunteer grants to your regular newsletters can also help maintain awareness. After volunteers complete their service, send them a personalized follow-up email thanking them and reminding them to check if their company offers a grant, making the process feel seamless and appreciative.

Through social media

Lastly, social media can expand your reach and engage a broader audience in the conversation about volunteer grant programs. Regularly post content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn that highlights the availability of volunteer grants and the impact they can have. (Hint: Double the Donation users can access free, customizable marketing materials within the 360MatchPro platform to help you get started!)

Sharing success stories from volunteers who have secured grants can be especially compelling, driving traffic back to your dedicated webpage for more information.

By leveraging these marketing channels (and any others your organization is drawn to), your team can not only increase awareness of volunteer grant programs but also make it easier for supporters to take advantage of these opportunities. And in the end, it ultimately unlocks additional funding and deepens engagement.


Wrapping Up & Further Reading

As we’ve seen, volunteer grants can serve as a significant lifeline for nonprofits and schools, transforming hours of volunteer work into vital financial support. By understanding the eligibility criteria and effectively navigating the application process, organizations can harness these grants to enhance their programs and extend their reach within the community.

Whether you’re just starting your fundraising journey or looking to expand your efforts, tapping into the potential of volunteer grants can empower your organization to make a lasting difference. Embrace the opportunity to turn volunteer hours into impactful funding and watch your mission thrive.

Interested in learning more about how your organization can benefit from volunteer grants and beyond? Check out these recommended resources:

Scale up volunteer grants with Double the Donation Volunteering.

The title of the article next to a photo of a man using a laptop.

Top Nonprofit Cloud Tools That Drive Data-Backed Decisions

Nonprofit Cloud offers an enormous breadth and depth of specialized tools for nonprofits and grantmaking organizations. Built on Salesforce core, It leverages the power of Salesforce CRM to help nonprofits effectively manage and analyze data.

As Fíonta explains, Nonprofit Cloud is ideal for measuring your impact, tracking program progress, and generating reports and visuals communicating your success to key stakeholders. Its tools allow nonprofits to forecast trends and campaign performance, providing the insights needed to make data-driven decisions.

We’ll explore some of the top ways Nonprofit Cloud helps nonprofits track and analyze data effectively. Let’s begin.

Benefits of Using Nonprofit Cloud Tools

Double the Donation’s guide to data collection highlights some of the key benefits of leveraging donor and campaign data, such as:

  • Providing an accurate impact measurement
  • Helping organizations effectively allocate resources
  • Promoting informed decision-making rather than guessing

Nonprofit Cloud empowers your organization to reap these benefits by managing each core part of your operations, including fundraising, program management, and case management.

Top Nonprofit Cloud Tools

The following tools and features are designed to help nonprofits easily and accurately track data, keep data clean and organized, and quickly gain useful insights that inspire wise decisions.

Fundraising Tools

The Nonprofit Cloud for Fundraising module unites fundraising teams on a single platform, offering purpose-built tools your team can use to strengthen donor relationships, improve efficiency, analyze data, and more. The module includes apps tailored to different roles, including fundraising strategy, donor engagement, philanthropy and partnerships, and general fundraising operations.

When it comes to fundraising data, these tools simplify and enhance tracking and analysis:

  • Flexible gift entry: Nonprofit Cloud offers your organization the flexibility to accurately track various types of donations. Enter standard one-time gifts made by individuals or set up recurring gift tracking. Your team can also create a batch to enter a large number of gifts at once, saving time and reducing the chance of human error.
  • Source codes: Source codes are unique codes included in specific links. The source code is activated when a supporter or participant clicks one of these links. Your team can then track campaign performance, understand donors’ communication preferences, calculate ROI, and personalize future communications. As a part of the Salesforce Summer ‘24 release, you can manage outreach source codes using the campaign flow in Marketing Cloud Growth Edition.
  • Custom donor scores: Build custom scores for your donors based on recency, frequency, and monetary (RFM) values. These scores provide a cumulative, at-a-glance RFM score for each donor. Donor scores can be viewed on the donor’s profile along with demographic data and other key insights to quickly gauge the supporter’s affinity and responsiveness to a certain cause or campaign.

These flexible tools ensure that your data reflects your nonprofit’s unique needs and practices, enhancing your data’s accuracy and clarity.

Program Management Tools

Nonprofit Cloud for Programs helps nonprofits plan, deliver, and track their programs. This module improves participant experiences, streamlines staff workflows, and yields the insights needed to improve offerings.

Some of the tools that offer these insights are:

  • Participant profiles: If your nonprofit works with individuals, you likely set goals for participants, assign them to programs, disburse benefits, and manage tasks related to that individual. These details and notes from your sessions are stored within a single participant profile. This gives anyone working with the participant a detailed overview of their history with your nonprofit, goals, and progress so your staff can make the best choices for that individual.
  • Program Management Home Page: This out-of-the-box home page is another product of the recent Summer ‘24 release. It is designed to give your team a comprehensive overview of your nonprofit’s program delivery and allow staff to monitor the status of your programs closely. From this single page, you can quickly assess whether programs are on track to meet organizational goals, get a simple overview of your programs and benefits, and track new referrals.
  • Cohort objects and fields: Group your program participants together using the new Program Cohort object. Then, move those participants through the program together and easily compare cohorts or measure an individual’s progress against their cohort. Nonprofit programs can vary widely and have unique needs, and this method of data collection helps your staff account for those needs and idiosyncrasies.

Managing programs is demanding and has many moving parts. Nonprofit Cloud’s unified platform provides comprehensive overviews of your programs’ health, promoting informed decision-making that drives long-term success.

Case Management Tools

Nonprofit Cloud for Case Management is housed within the Program Management module and emphasizes providing better participant outcomes. This solution remedies heavy case manager workloads, disjointed systems, and barriers to transparent communication and collaboration across your teams.

Additionally, Nonprofit Cloud’s case management tools offer the following features for enhanced data collection and management:

  • Easy, streamlined note-taking: Allow staff to quickly capture detailed notes from sessions with participants. Populate notes with additional information like attendance records, timestamps, and supporting documents for the most comprehensive records possible. These notes can be shared with other case managers, making participant transition simple and keeping data consolidated.
  • Dynamic assessments: Use these assessments during intake to ensure staff ask new participants the most relevant questions. Additionally, staff can easily add necessary documents to the assessment and allow participants to navigate the process at their own pace. This ensures the participant’s intake is efficient and pleasant and organizes all necessary information in a single location.
  • Adaptable data tracking: Your staff will use the Case object to plan care for the participant. Cases can span across multiple programs, and staff can loop in multiple individuals, such as caretakers or other team members at your organization. This flexible tool can conform to any program structure, making it easy to record and report your progress.

Accurate data collection is critical for case management. It influences quality of care, resource allocation, and long-term planning for your programs. In the context of fields like healthcare, your data collection methods must be secure and ethical to comply with regulations.

Other Salesforce Tools and Features

Remember to stay cognizant of and try out other options within Salesforce. With Nonprofit Cloud, your organization can access common features for Industries, apps from the AppExchange, and tools belonging to other Industry Clouds. These solutions can extend Nonprofit Cloud’s capabilities to assist with data hygiene, security, and efficiency.

Consider looking beyond Salesforce for additional assistance for larger organizations or those with very complex needs. Working with a Salesforce tech consultant can help you implement the solution, clean up and migrate data, and maximize your investment in this powerful CRM. If needed, research other services that can enhance your data quality to drive more accurate insights, like appending missing information or enriching your first-party data with third-party, market-level insights.

Collecting, managing, and cleaning your nonprofit’s data is key. After all, if your database is flawed or biased, the insights you glean from it will be, too. Nonprofit Cloud offers powerful, flexible tools that revolutionize how your nonprofit records and analyzes data about your donors, campaigns, and programs.