← News · 2026-03-26

Millions in Corporate Matching Gifts Go Unclaimed Every Year, Reports Find

One of the easiest ways to double a donation is also one of the most underused. Reports tracking school and nonprofit fundraising consistently find that a large majority of corporate matching gift opportunities go unclaimed by eligible donors — not because employers refuse to match, but because donors simply don't realize the benefit exists or don't take the extra step to submit a request.

Matching gift programs let an employee's donation to a qualifying cause be matched, often dollar-for-dollar, by their employer's corporate giving budget. For a fundraiser organizer, encouraging supporters to check their employer's matching policy costs nothing and can meaningfully increase the value of gifts already being made.

The awareness gap appears to be the main obstacle. Many companies, especially larger ones, offer matching programs as a standard employee benefit, but the process typically requires the donor to actively submit a match request through an internal portal — a step that's easy to forget after making the original gift.

For PTAs, churches, and nonprofits running a giving campaign, a simple reminder line on donation receipts or follow-up emails — "ask your employer if they match charitable gifts" — costs nothing to add and can capture revenue that would otherwise go unclaimed.

Matching gifts are one of several "Corporate & Sponsorship" fundraiser types in our database. Use the calculator to see how it compares against other options for your specific goal and timeline.