Matching gifts, explained: how donation matches work

The two kinds of matching gifts

People use 'matching gift' to mean two different things. The first is employer matching: many companies will match charitable donations their employees make, often dollar for dollar, up to a limit. The donor gives, then submits a request to their employer, and the employer sends a matching amount to the cause. This is arranged entirely between the donor and their employer — the cause usually just receives a second gift later.

The second is a match campaign: you line up a sponsor — a board member, a major donor, a local business — who agrees to match all gifts during a set period, up to a cap. 'Every gift this week is doubled, up to $5,000.' This is the kind you run yourself, and it's the one most small fundraisers can actually create.

Why matching motivates donors

A match changes the math in the donor's head. Giving $25 that becomes $50 feels like a better deal than giving $25 alone, even though the donor pays the same either way. It also adds a deadline and a shared goal, both of which push people who were on the fence to act now rather than later.

The effect is strongest when the match is real, specific, and time-bound. A vague 'gifts may be matched' does little. 'A supporter will match every gift through Friday, up to $5,000' gives people a concrete reason and a clear window.

How to run a simple match campaign

Start by securing the matching funds before you announce anything — get a sponsor to commit a specific amount in writing. Then set a clear window and cap, and tell the story plainly: who's matching, how much, and until when. During the campaign, show progress toward the cap so people can see the match 'filling up.'

When the window closes, thank both your donors and the sponsor publicly, and report the combined total. The sponsor then sends their matching amount as a single gift. Keep your own records of what came in during the window so the match amount is easy to verify.

• Secure the match amount in writing before announcing it.
• Set a specific cap and a short window — a week works well.
• Tell donors who's matching and until when, in one clear sentence.
• Report the combined total and thank the sponsor afterward.

What a donation tool does and doesn't do

Be clear-eyed about this: a donation widget collects the gifts during your match window, but it doesn't arrange employer matching or administer the sponsor's pledge for you. Those are relationships and records you manage yourself. What the tool gives you is a clean way to collect the donations and a record of what came in during the window.

CrowdCreate fits a match campaign because the gifts land in your own Stripe account and you can see exactly what was raised during the window, which is what you need to verify the match. It does not track employer-match paperwork or invoice a sponsor — that part is on you, and we'd rather say so than imply otherwise.

Common questions

How CrowdCreate works

1. 1

   Sign up free and connect Stripe

   Create your account and link your own Stripe account. It takes about ten minutes.

2. 2

   Paste the snippet on your site

   Drop one line of code onto your own page — or share your hosted CrowdCreate page if you don't have a site.

3. 3

   Funders pledge

   Money lands in your own Stripe account. We take no cut of what your funders give.

Your money goes straight to your own Stripe account — CrowdCreate never holds it, and takes no cut of donations.