Recent tax changes also provide a potential boost, allowing non-itemizers to deduct up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married couples. This could incentivize smaller-dollar donors to engage more actively in payroll giving, increasing participation and the overall impact of these programs.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a plan for nurturing payroll giving donors. Thanks to workplace giving partners like America’s Charities, many nonprofits now receive detailed reports that include donor information—giving you the opportunity to identify, thank, and build relationships with these supporters. However, engaging payroll giving donors requires a thoughtful approach tailored to how and why they give.

In this post, we’ll share five practical tips to help nonprofits nurture payroll giving donors, deepen their connection to your cause, and raise more through the programs. Whether you’re just starting to track this audience or looking to improve retention and lifetime value, the following best practices will help you turn payroll donors into lasting champions for your mission:

1. Send prompt, personalized thank-you messages.
2. Keep donors up-to-date with regular impact reports.
3. Create an exclusive payroll giving donor community.
4. Celebrate milestones.
5. Invite further involvement.

These small but intentional actions can go a long way in making payroll donors feel seen, appreciated, and connected to your mission. By recognizing their ongoing commitment and tailoring your stewardship efforts, you’ll not only boost retention, but foster a sense of belonging that turns workplace givers into long-term advocates for your cause.

Let’s dive into five key strategies to get started.

1. Send prompt, personalized thank-you messages.

One of the most important ways to nurture payroll giving donors is to acknowledge their support promptly and personally. Because payroll gifts are automatically deducted from paychecks, these donors may not receive the same level of recognition as those making one-time or online gifts, making it all the more important to go the extra mile.

As soon as you receive donor information from a disbursement partner (such as America’s Charities), take the opportunity to send a warm thank-you message. For the best results, you’ll want to include:

• Their name
• The impact of their recurring gift
• A brief note that acknowledges their choice to give through their employer

Even a simple message like “Thank you, Alex, for setting up a payroll donation through your workplace giving program—you’re helping us make a difference every month” can build goodwill and reinforce their connection to your cause.

All in all, a prompt, thoughtful thank-you lays the foundation for stronger engagement and sets the tone for future communication. It shows donors that you’re paying attention and that their recurring generosity doesn’t go unnoticed.

2. Keep donors up-to-date with regular impact reports.

Payroll giving donors often give quietly and consistently in the background which means they may not always see the tangible results of their generosity. To keep them engaged and inspired, it’s essential to regularly share the value of their ongoing support.

In other words, because payroll donors typically don’t interact with your organization each time they give, corporate impact reports serve as a vital touchpoint. These reports don’t have to be long or formal. Brief monthly or quarterly updates that show where their donations are going can be incredibly effective. Highlight the real-world outcomes of their contributions, such as how many meals were provided, how many students were reached, or how their steady giving helped sustain a specific program.

Whenever possible, personalize these updates by referencing their donor segment: “As a payroll donor, your ongoing support plays a key role in helping us plan ahead and respond consistently to community needs.” You can even include cumulative milestones like “Your monthly donations this year have added up to $240 in support!”

While many employers have year-round opportunities for employees to give and it’s important to keep in touch with those donors throughout the year, the opportunity to enroll in payroll deduction giving most often occurs in the third and fourth quarters of the year. That makes timing especially important when thanking current payroll donors and encouraging them to continue supporting your nonprofit’s mission.

By keeping payroll donors informed, you help them see themselves as a crucial part of your mission’s success. This ongoing connection builds trust, strengthens loyalty, and reminds donors that their automatic gift is actively making a difference—even when it may feel out of sight.

3. Create an exclusive payroll giving donor community.

Payroll donors may not always feel the same connection to your organization as one-time or major donors, especially since their giving happens automatically in the background. One powerful way to change that is by creating an exclusive community just for payroll giving supporters.

This doesn’t need to be a formal membership program. Even something as simple as a branded name like “The Monthly Impact Circle” or “Workplace Giving Champions” can give donors a sense of belonging and shared purpose. You can invite payroll donors to subscribe to a dedicated email list, join a private Facebook group, or attend exclusive events like behind-the-scenes tours, impact webinars, or virtual meet-and-greets with your team.

By offering recognition and engagement tailored specifically to payroll donors, you’re reinforcing that they’re not just anonymous contributors; they’re part of a committed, values-driven community. This type of identity-building increases donor satisfaction and retention while also encouraging supporters to spread the word about your mission within their workplace.

When donors feel like they’re part of something meaningful (and exclusive), they’re more likely to stay involved and deepen their connection to your cause over time.

4. Celebrate milestones.

Payroll giving donors may not always realize how much of an impact they’ve made over time, especially when their donations are small but consistent. That’s why celebrating key milestones is an important way to recognize their long-term commitment and deepen their connection to your mission.

These milestones could include:

• Anniversaries (e.g., 6 months or 1 year of giving)
• Total contribution thresholds (such as $250 or $500 cumulatively)
• Broader goals reached with the help of payroll gifts (like funding a program for an entire month)

Upon reaching such milestones, personalized emails, handwritten notes, or digital badges can go a long way in making these donors feel valued. A simple message like “Thanks to your steady support over the past year, you’ve helped us deliver 100 meals to families in need!” is both impactful and deeply appreciated.

You can also highlight payroll donors in newsletters, larger impact reports, or social media shoutouts (with permission) to show public appreciation and inspire others to give in the same way. Recognizing these milestones not only reinforces the importance of recurring giving but also reminds donors that every paycheck contribution is building toward something bigger.

Celebrating milestones makes donors feel seen and appreciated which are two essential elements in keeping payroll givers engaged for the long haul.

5. Invite further involvement.

Payroll giving donors have already taken a meaningful step by committing to support your organization through regular contributions. But that doesn’t have to be the end of their involvement. In fact, it’s just the beginning.

One of the best ways to deepen engagement with these supporters is to invite them to connect more fully with your mission through additional opportunities.

For example, start by promoting employer matching gifts. Many payroll donors give through their workplace, which means their employers may also offer corporate matching gift programs. Remind donors to check with their HR department or use your matching gift search tool to see if their contributions can be doubled. This not only increases impact but also further involves donors in the fundraising process.

Next, consider inviting payroll donors to participate in volunteer opportunities, both in-person and virtually. Payroll givers may be interested in taking a more active role, whether that’s helping at events, serving on committees, or lending their skills in areas like marketing or finance. For the best results, highlight roles that fit flexible schedules and offer meaningful experiences, and don’t forget to remind them about potential employer-sponsored volunteer programs like volunteer grants and VTO, too!

You can even invite payroll donors to attend impact events, join peer-to-peer fundraisers, or participate in advocacy campaigns. These thoughtful invitations show that your organization values them not just as recurring donors, but as mission-driven individuals with much more to contribute.

By offering ways to deepen their involvement—on their own terms—you help payroll donors feel even more connected, appreciated, and empowered. This strengthens their loyalty and turns consistent givers into passionate, long-term advocates.

All in all, payroll giving donors represent a unique and valuable segment of your supporter base, offering reliable, recurring gifts that can add up to a significant long-term impact. With donor details often included in disbursements from CSR partners, your organization has the opportunity to move beyond passive receipt toward intentional relationship-building.

By implementing these thoughtful stewardship strategies, you can transform payroll donors into loyal advocates for your mission. After all, these individuals have already taken a meaningful step by giving through their workplace. Now, it’s your turn to show them that their support matters, and to invite them into a stronger, more connected relationship with your cause.

Interested in learning more about nurturing payroll giving donors?

Check out the webinar, Navigating Workplace Giving Disbursements and Trends, to continue growing your knowledge.

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The America’s Charities team is joining up with other leading voices in the workplace giving space for a free, 2-day virtual summit for nonprofits April 2nd and 3rd, 2025.

Ever wondered what companies are looking for from nonprofits?

Good news! That is what we will be covering during our session on April 2nd at 1:45 PM ET.

Secure your free spot, by registering for the Workplace Fundraising + Volunteering Summit and check out the other awesome sessions that will cover topics such as,

• Employer matching gifts
• Volunteer time off (VTO)
• Payroll Giving
• Corporate Partnerships
• Volunteer grants
• And more

Register here to attend live or receive access to the recordings!

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Justin Shelton, Chief Executive Officer of Springwood Hospitality, emphasizes the significance of this endeavor, stating, “It is paramount for our company to ensure that our employees have a reliable resource when facing hardships. In light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and our unwavering commitment to the well-being of our team members, the establishment of the Springwood Cares fund has been a top priority for us.”

Springwood Cares further underscores Springwood Hospitality’s dedication to service and the welfare of its employees. Springwood Hospitality has approximately 200 employees, all of which will be eligible for grants.

The Springwood Cares initiative and grant applications will be administered, reviewed, and validated by America’s Charities, a well-respected 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with four decades of expertise in managing charitable funds. By partnering with America’s Charities, the program guarantees the confidential, tax-free, and expeditious processing of all grant applications through the oversight of a trusted third party.

Springwood Hospitality has generously contributed an initial funding amount of $7,500 to kickstart the Springwood Cares program. Sustainability will be maintained through a combination of contributions from Springwood Hospitality employees and fundraising campaigns. The inaugural fundraising campaign is slated to run from November 1 to November 22, 2023, to further support the program. During the November campaign and subsequent efforts, contributions to the Springwood Cares program will be open to everyone, and a convenient donation link can be accessed on the Springwood Hospitality website. Associates will also have the option to make contributions through payroll deductions. 100% of all donations will directly benefit those associates in need.

Molly Jensen, Vice President further adds, “In addition to demonstrating our commitment to the well-being of our employees, the Springwood Cares program fosters a sense of unity among our team members, empowering them to support and uplift their colleagues, thereby strengthening our internal culture.”

About Springwood Hospitality

Springwood Hospitality is dedicated to forging lasting relationships through meaningful experiences that positively impact individuals. Associates are encouraged to lead with their hearts and embody the Springwood Essentials in all their endeavors.

To learn more about Springwood Hospitality and the Springwood Cares Employee Assistance Fund, please visit www.springwoodhospitality.com.

CONTACT: Molly Jensen, Vice President

Email: mjensen@gospringwood.com

Phone: (717) 307-0154 (Mobile)

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Today is a time to honor and appreciate the meaningful connections we share with our friends. It’s a day to express gratitude for their presence in our lives and to acknowledge the support, understanding, and companionship they provide.

In a world where self-care is celebrated, Friendship Day stands out as an opportunity to care for others. True friendship is a form of emotional self-care, as it nourishes our souls and enriches our well-being. Research has shown that strong social connections, like those found in friendships, contribute positively to our mental and emotional health.

On this day, individuals and communities worldwide celebrate friendships through various activities and events. From heartfelt messages and gestures to spending quality time with friends, every expression of friendship adds warmth and happiness to our journey.

Friendship is not limited to personal lives; it extends to the workplace as well. As we commemorate Friendship Day, let us remember that fostering a sense of camaraderie and support in the workplace contributes to a healthier and happier work environment.

If you’re interested in promoting friendship among your employees, here are some suggestions:

• Host a Friendship Day Event: Consider organizing a Friendship Day event at your workplace. Encourage employees to share stories of their friendships or hold activities that promote teamwork and bonding. These events can strengthen workplace relationships and create a more cohesive team.
• Acknowledge Employee Friendships: Take a moment to appreciate the friendships that exist within your organization. Recognize the power of these connections and how they positively influence the workplace atmosphere.
• Encourage a Supportive Culture: Foster a workplace culture that values empathy, kindness, and collaboration. Demonstrate your company’s commitment to employee well-being by starting an Employee Assistance Fund and invite your employees to donate to the fund as a way to help fellow colleagues through financial hardships. Encouraging employees to support and uplift each other not only boosts morale but also enhances overall productivity.

On this special day, reach out to your friends, express your appreciation, and create new memories together. Embrace the beauty of genuine connections and make this Friendship Day a truly unforgettable one.

The post Friendship Day appeared first on America's Charities.

Washington, D.C. – April 3, 2023 – America’s Charities, the nonprofit that mobilizes the power of giving as a leading provider of volunteering, workplace giving, employee assistance funds, matching gift, scholarships and other social impact solutions, today announced it was selected as a 2023 Best Nonprofit To Work For by the impartial research organization Best Companies Group (BCG). This is the third consecutive year that BCG has recognized America’s Charities as one of the 50 best employers in the industry, scoring well above industry benchmarks for staff engagement and satisfaction. The NonProfit Times published the full list of nonprofit awardees on April 1.

“We work with organizational leaders every day, helping them create corporate social responsibility strategies and programs to engage their employees and improve the world,” said Jim Starr, president and CEO of America’s Charities. “Employee engagement starts with how your people feel about where and with whom they work. It’s also about empowering them to shape their communities, providing incentives for meaningful participation, building-in opportunities to listen and learn from each other, and creating a purposeful culture where a workforce cares for one another and their organization’s mission. We employ these same best practices within our own organization, so being named a Best Nonprofit To Work For again this year, truly reflects who America’s Charities is and what we do to ‘help you help others.’ I am immensely proud to work with such incredibly talented, passionate people.”

To be considered for participation, organizations had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be in business a minimum of 1 year;
• Must be a nonprofit organization with 501 (c)(3) status;
• Have a facility in the United States;
• Have a minimum of 15 employees in the United States; and,
• An organization may enter as a group of nonprofits or as an individual organization as long as each participating organization is a separate legal entity (separate subsidiary). Branch offices may not enter separately from their parent nonprofit unless they are separate legal entities.

The 2023 Best Nonprofits To Work For evaluation process had two parts. BCG first analyzed America’s Charities’ policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics, totaling 25 percent of the total evaluation score. Second, they surveyed staff to measure the quality and consistency of their employee experience, worth the remaining 75 percent of the evaluation. The scores were then combined to determine their final top 50 rankings out of the hundreds of nominated nonprofits.

For more information on The Nonprofit Times’ Best Nonprofits to Work For program, visit www.BestNonprofitstoWorkFor.com.

The post America’s Charities Named ‘Best Nonprofit To Work For’ For Third Consecutive Year appeared first on America's Charities.

“Being recognized as a Best Nonprofit To Work For, for the second year in a row, is a tremendous honor,” said Jim Starr, president and CEO of America’s Charities. “It is a testament to the commitment and compassion of America’s Charities’ staff, leadership, and Board of Directors. This is more proof that each team member cares for our mission, our clients and causes, and each other. We strive to nurture an environment where our people can meaningfully connect with each other, the impactful work of our mission, and the causes they care about, and feel empowered to shape the organization and improve their community.”

The 2022 Best Nonprofits To Work For evaluation process had two parts. BCG first analyzed America’s Charities’ policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics, totaling 25 percent of the total evaluation score. Second, they surveyed staff to measure the quality and consistency of their employee experience, worth the remaining 75 percent of the evaluation. The scores were then combined to determine their final top 50 rankings out of the hundreds of nominated nonprofits.

Eight key categories were measured: leadership, corporate culture and communications, role satisfaction, work environment, relationship with supervisor, training and development, pay and benefits, and overall engagement. America’s Charities scored 91 percent across all eight categories, which was two points above their 2021 score and well above the industry average. BCG considers 70 percent to indicate “strong” levels of engagement and satisfaction, while scores of 80 percent and higher represent “greatness.” America’s Charities’ engagement and satisfaction scores – at 92 percent and 90 percent, respectively – were comparable to their scores last year and also above industry benchmarks.

Drilling down, 99 percent of America’s Charities’ staff value their work environment, and 97 percent said they have confidence in the organization; feel that they are treated as a person, not a number; and rely on the organization’s ample communication. All scores were on par with their 2021 evaluations. Additionally, 91 percent said they are satisfied in their role and have a good relationship with their supervisor, and 90 percent value America’s Charities’ corporate culture and communications. 83 percent of employees would recommend America’s Charities as a place to work, an increase of two points from their 2021 score.

There were several areas about which 100 percent of America’s Charities employees agreed:

• They are proud to work for this organization
• They understand the organization’s long-term strategy
• They like their coworkers  
• They understand the importance of their role in the success of America’s Charities

“We work with organizational leaders every day, helping them create corporate social responsibility strategies and programs to engage their employees and create social change,” added Starr. “Employee engagement starts with how your people feel about where and with whom they work. It’s also about empowering them to shape their communities, providing incentives for meaningful participation, building-in opportunities to listen and learn from each other, and creating a purposeful culture where a workforce cares for one another and their organization’s mission. Being named a Best Nonprofit To Work For last year, and again this year, truly reflects who America’s Charities is as an organization and what we do to ‘help you help others.’ I am immensely proud to work with such incredibly talented, passionate people.”

To be considered a Best Nonprofit To Work For in 2022, organizations had to be in business for a minimum of one year, be a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status, have a U.S. facility, at least 15 employees in the U.S., and be a separate legal entity or subsidiary. BCG managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data, and determined the ranking. The NonProfit Times, the leading national business publication for nonprofit managers, hosted the survey and published the final list.

Click here to learn more about America’s Charities and the people that comprise the organization and click here for more details about their employee engagement software plus back-end support solutions. Click here for more information about the Best Nonprofits To Work For program. 

About America’s Charities

America’s Charities is a 501(c)(3) membership-based nonprofit that inspires employees and organizations to support each other and the causes they care about. America’s Charities’ deep expertise in workplace giving and employee engagement is anchored in its history of helping employers of all shapes and sizes support causes and their communities and create sustainable impact. Since 1980, America’s Charities has raised nearly a billion dollars in corporate, federal, state, and local government workplace giving campaigns, benefiting tens of thousands of nonprofits addressing a wide range of causes including education, human rights, hunger, poverty, research, animal welfare, veteran assistance, disaster relief, and health services. More information about America’s Charities is at www.charities.org, as well as on our social media networks.

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• A well-meaning company wanted to do a group volunteer activity with a nonprofit they financially supported
• The nonprofit didn’t have a readily structured and meaningful group volunteer project for the company…but they did something anyways
• While the company got its volunteer activity, the experience was less than inspirational for the employees and didn’t deliver great value for the nonprofit

Sound familiar?  In fact, you’ve probably lived it – from the perspective of the company, the nonprofit or the employee volunteer.  Our Snapshot Research confirms and amplifies this still ongoing struggle to meaningfully engage employees as volunteers.

In the last post, I outlined four concrete strategies to dramatically improve the interaction and results for employee volunteer engagement:

1. Work with trusted partners. 
2. Describe success.
3. Leverage technology. 
4. Follow up.

Let’s apply these time-tested tactics to our case study and rewrite it: 

S&B, a multi-national pharmaceutical company, is a large supporter of Emergency Relief, a national nonprofit.  Maria, S&B’s Community Relations Director, wanted to organize a volunteer activity to team build and make a difference in the community.  Maria searched on their company’s online employee engagement and workplace giving platform to see what opportunities might be available with Emergency Relief.  Maria didn’t see anything that would accommodate the number of employees who were going to volunteer, but she did see an opportunity that might fit if Emergency Relief was amenable.  Essentially, it involved distributing disaster readiness kits in low-income neighborhoods.

Maria reached out to her contact at Emergency Relief – Kathy, the Development Director – and outlined her need and potential solution.  Kathy got Ryan, the Volunteer Director, and Amy, the Program and Services Director, on the line with Maria.  Maria outlined her needs and suggested doing a readiness kit distribution in two weeks.  Amy loved the idea of a larger group volunteering for a need Emergency Relief had, though Ryan expressed some logistical challenges that would need to be addressed.  In addition, Amy pushed back on doing it in two weeks, as other activities were already scheduled.  She suggested four weeks out which was workable for Maria.  By the end of the call, they had mapped out shared objectives, covered the logistical needs and confirmed the date and location for the activity.

Maria then created a new volunteer opportunity on S&B’s employee engagement platform and promoted it within the company.  Interested employees signed up on the platform, providing Maria and Emergency Relief a roster, including contact information.  In the days leading up to the event, Ryan provided Maria some content on the impact her employees will have by distributing the readiness kits.  Maria posted this on the platform so that it was shared with the employees.

The volunteer activity was a great success with the volunteers feeling a sense of satisfaction and impact, the nonprofit having an important need met and the company having its objectives met.  Emergency Relief sent personal thank-you notes to the employee volunteers inviting them to continue to be a part of the Emergency Relief family.  Three of the twenty volunteers made a financial contribution as a result and five more signed up for other volunteer opportunities with them.

So what was different? 

Well, the end result – and most importantly, those impacted by Emergency Relief were better served.  Examples of the four tactics include:

1. Work with trusted partners.
   • Maria felt comfortable reaching out directly to Kathy.  And Amy and Ryan felt comfortable pushing back on the timeframe and expressing some logistical concerns about Maria’s idea.
2. Describe success.
   • Maria articulated her objectives.  Amy confirmed the value of the proposed idea.
3. Leverage technology.
   • S&B uses an employee engagement and workplace giving platform to post volunteer opportunities.  Emergency Relief provided S&B with some relevant content.
4. Follow up.
   • Emergency Relief stewarded their volunteers and thanked them.  As a result, they secured continued support.

In closing, the solutions are not complicated nor difficult.  But the challenge lies in the execution – just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s simply done.  Successful volunteer programs and partnerships between a company and nonprofit are the result of diligent and purposeful interaction – a relationship built upon trust and transparency. In order for a volunteer effort to have impact, it must be organized and executed in a way that accomplishes “success” as defined by your company and the nonprofit from the onset. If you can do that, then you will form truly strategic relationships that bring value to everyone involved.

Get Started Now! What can we help you with?

Learn more about how a well-designed corporate philanthropy program can meet your needs. Click below to request more information about our solutions:

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“Segmentation” refers to grouping your supporters based on shared characteristics (e.g. age, donation history, geographical area, etc.) Identifying these common characteristics empowers your team to gain a deeper understanding of donors and what drives them to give. In turn, your marketing and fundraising teams can send tailored messages that appeal to each group, ultimately driving more value for your nonprofit.

If you’re early on in your nonprofit career or just need a refresher, we’re here to help. At Salsa, we empower nonprofits with the tools needed to connect with donors and build lasting relationships. We understand the value that segmentation can bring to all organizations. This quick guide will cover everything you need to know about getting started with donor segmentation, including:

• The benefits of donor segmentation
• The main challenge of donor segmentation
• Best practices for effective segmentation

So long as you have a thorough understanding of this strategy and intuitive online fundraising tools, you’ll be equipped to establish healthy supporter relationships. Ready to cover the basics of segmentation and gather actionable tips along the way? Let’s dive in.

Is workplace giving part of your fundraising strategy? Workplace donors provide your cause with funding all year long, and they give on average five times more than individual donors. Learn more in this Washington Post article, “How workplace giving supports tangible change.”

The Benefits of Donor Segmentation

Regardless of your nonprofit’s mission, donor segmentation is an important strategy that can substantially strengthen your support system. It enables your organization to communicate with donors in meaningful ways. While useful for all-sized organizations, this strategy is especially crucial for larger nonprofits with thousands of supporters.

When leveraged effectively, donor segmentation enables your marketing and development teams to:

• Deliver meaningful content that appeals to donors’ interests.
• Reduce the number of irrelevant messages to donors who don’t belong to certain segments.
• Ask for feasible donation amounts based on giving patterns (i.e. donation amount, frequency, etc.)
• Offer relevant additional engagement opportunities outside of donating.

When you don’t segment your donors, you risk losing them. When someone donates, they shouldn’t be tossed into a generic email list where they’re bombarded with a bunch of information that doesn’t pertain to them. This can easily lead them to unsubscribe and stop supporting your nonprofit altogether, and there’s a high chance that they’ll take their support to a different organization that personalizes their experiences. 

Studies have shown that as many as 94% of people who discontinued communications with a company did so because of irrelevant promotions or messages. Segmentation helps make your communications relevant, personal, and compelling.

The Main Challenge of Donor Segmentation

While segmentation has its benefits, it presents one major challenge that will work against your efforts: inaccurate data.

Inaccurate data can quickly derail your outreach and actually damage relationships rather than improve them. For instance, if you inaccurately record a supporter’s donation history, you may send a donation request that substantially exceeds their budget. Especially when they receive a lot of these appeals, your messages can come off as insensitive and may steer them away.

Maintaining an accurate database is crucial. As explained by AccuData’s guide to data hygiene, good hygiene involves addressing any “dirty data….containing errors, whether it’s outdated, incomplete, duplicated, or simply incorrect.” 

Acting on any false information can have major costs; that same guide estimates that incorrect information costs organizations around $3.1 trillion a year in the U.S. alone.

The easiest way to maintain good data hygiene is to leverage the right constituent relationship management (CRM) system. 

Your solution should automate data collection and pull data from all types of campaigns. When your fundraising and marketing software integrates with your nonprofit CRM, data collection is seamless. Everything will flow into a single system, eliminating manual entry and giving you a 360-degree view of your organization’s performance.

Even when you invest in a powerful CRM, it’s best to regularly clean up your data to ensure it’s as accurate as possible. So regularly check any data that looks out of line and address it quickly.

Best Practices for Effective Segmentation

While segmentation is certainly useful, it’s only effective when you apply best practices. With the right practices under your belt, your communication team will be able to quickly understand who they’re talking to, why they’re reaching out to them, and how to appeal to them. 

Your segmentation can either improve donor retention or (when ineffective) drive valuable supporters away. Let’s walk through a few ways you can make the most of segmentation.

1. Create meaningful donor segments.

An initial step that you’ll need to take is to determine which donor segments make the most sense for your nonprofit. There are several ways to group your donors, each of which will require prospect research, and your team will need to think about which donor segments are relevant to your cause and which contexts they can be used in. Many nonprofits group donors by:

• Giving history. You should be aware of how much and how frequently donors give. This will help you time your appeals and ask for the appropriate donation amount. Another point you’ll want to consider is if they’re a first-time donor or a returning donor. First-time donors often need extra support and outreach than repeat donors.

• Preferred communication methods. An appeal may be fully optimized to convert but go unnoticed because you didn’t contact the donor using the right platform. You can segment donors based on how they prefer to be contacted, whether it’s via email, phone call, direct mail, or some other means. It can also be worthwhile to consider how often they’d like to hear from you.

• How they were acquired. It’s crucial to know where each donor initially came from so you can make relevant appeals down the road. Common examples of this include your nonprofit’s website, social media, and events. There are many other ones to consider, though. For instance, they may have originally been a volunteer that converted to a donor.

Salsa’s guide to the best fundraising strategies for nonprofits explains that your team should track additional information beyond this. Your donor management software should also store valuable information like relationships (whether familial, business, etc.), demographics, interests, and biographical information.

Using segments like these, you can send out optimized communications that are more likely to encourage recipients to convert. For instance, you may choose to send a targeted fundraising ask based on a donor’s current giving level. In this case, it would make more sense to send out appeals based on giving history, rather than their communication preferences.

What do companies want from their nonprofit partners? Access the free report, America’s Charities Snapshot Nonprofit Research, to find out this answer and more. 

2. Deliver tailored fundraising asks.

We’ve briefly touched on the idea that segmenting your donor data allows you to deliver customized appeals. If your development team frequently sends generic appeals to your entire contact list, that’s a good way to drive them away from your cause.

Like we said early on, your donors want to feel your nonprofit cares about their experiences enough that you took the time to understand their preferences. Here are a few ways your team can tailor fundraising to fit different segments:

• Take their preferred giving methods into account. Tailor your asks to segments that prefer to give using a certain platform. For instance, a technologically inclined audience is much more likely to give if you send them online giving opportunities as opposed to sending direct mail appeals.

• Offer other engagement opportunities. What other activities have your donors participated in? For instance, maybe they regularly attend events or volunteer. Knowing this, your team can invite them to your next event or share an upcoming volunteer opportunity. That way, they can become more involved with other activities in addition to donating.

When you leverage your segments in smart ways, you can truly connect with donors and drive them to give. Each donor will receive appeals, invitations, and other opportunities that adhere to their specific interests.

3. Promote corporate philanthropy to the right donors.

After donors’ data flows into your nonprofit CRM, you can group them based on their corporate philanthropy eligibility. All sorts of businesses have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. Frequently, these include matching gift programs that can dramatically boost your organization’s fundraising potential. Here’s how this corporate social responsibility guide defines matching gifts:

“Matching gifts are a type of corporate philanthropy in which companies match donations that their employees make to nonprofit organizations.

When an employee makes a donation, they’ll request the matching gift from their employer, who then makes their own donation. Companies usually match donations at a 1:1 ratio, but some will match at a 2:1, 3:1, or even a 4:1 ratio.”

Some sources estimate that these opportunities generate $4-$7 billion for the nonprofit sector each year. Understanding your donors’ eligibility allows you to market the opportunity to the right individuals and secure any unclaimed fundraising dollars.

Be sure to capture employer data during the giving process. Your team can go into your CRM and flag everyone’s eligibility by searching a database like Double the Donation. Alternatively, use an integrated prospect research tool to automatically flag certain corporate affiliations.

Access a discount on Double the Donation’s employee matching gift tools, exclusively for America’s Charities nonprofit members! Learn more here.  

As we saw with the pandemic, the fundraising landscape can change drastically and without warning. As such, nonprofits should revisit their segmentation strategies to account for gaps and address evolving priorities. Regularly assess which segments you use and why. Doing so allows you to evaluate your segments’ performance and make adjustments.

When leveraged effectively, your donor segments can improve your fundraising tremendously. With all this in mind, how will you use your segments to strengthen your fundraising efforts and donor relationships?

About the author: 

Gerard Tonti is the Senior Creative Developer at Salsa Labs, the premier fundraising software company for growth-focused nonprofits. Gerard’s marketing focus on content creation, conversion optimization and modern marketing technology helps him coach nonprofit development teams on digital fundraising best practices.

The post Donor Segmentation: A Quick Guide for Impactful Nonprofits appeared first on America's Charities.

You’ve probably heard of matching gift programs, a type of corporate giving program in which companies financially match donations their employees make to nonprofits. But have you been able to make matching gifts an active part of your fundraising strategy?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has risen in recent years, so more and more companies are implementing or expanding their matching gift programs. That means more employees are eligible for a match when they donate to nonprofits like yours.

If you’re unsure of how to convince your nonprofit team to jump on the matching gifts bandwagon, we’ve outlined some key strategies you can use to get your organization onboard:

1. Focus on both leadership and staff.
2. Demonstrate the value of matching gifts.
3. Develop a long-term plan.

It can be difficult to convince a nonprofit organization that it should be investing time and energy into pursuing matching gifts. We’re going to offer ways you can successfully do this. Let’s get started.

1. Focus on both leadership and staff.

When we talk about getting your nonprofit team onboard, we mean your entire team. That includes both leadership and staff.

Start with leadership first, and once you’ve made your case at that level, you’ll be in a better position to bring your staff on board, too. Why? It’s simple: When leadership at your organization is excited about and invested in matching gifts, that commitment will trickle down to all of your team members.

As you prepare to engage with your organization’s leadership about matching gifts, follow these tips for success:

• Respect their time. Above all else, make sure you’re respecting your leadership team’s time. They’re already busy juggling many other tasks, so if you show that you respect their time and schedule short meetings with actionable information, you’ll already be a step ahead.

• Effectively convey your message. One effective way to convey your message is to share educational information that teaches your leadership team about matching gifts and helps them see the impact they can make. After all, your leadership may not have a lot of background knowledge around matching gifts.

• Use data. Use data your team already has to make your case. For example, compare your current matching gift revenue to what you could be getting from match-eligible donors. Part of this means identifying whether your donors work for companies that match donations. We’ll discuss this more in the next section.

Once you’ve met with leadership, continue scheduling short follow-up meetings to keep them updated on your progress. As leadership warms up to the idea of pursuing matching gift programs, you’ll be in a better position to rally your staff, as well.

America’s Charities nonprofit members, you could qualify for an exclusive discount on Double the Donation’s matching gift tools. Learn more here.

Next, as you begin reaching out to your staff members to get them on board as well, be sure to consider the following tips:

• Educate them. Just as you’ve been educating your leadership team, offer resources to your staff (like this one) to cover the basics of matching gifts.

• Incorporate matching gifts into onboarding. Whenever you train new staff members at your nonprofit, make sure they understand how matching gifts work from the start so they can assist donors and other individuals when needed. Offer additional resources like one-pagers, meetings, and webinars to continue educating them. 

• Encourage outreach. Encourage staff to include matching gifts in their marketing and campaign materials. Keeping matching gifts at the forefront of everyone’s mind (including staff and donors) will help build up your revenue and maintain its importance.

Both your leadership and staff should have a clear understanding of matching gifts and how they work. When leadership buys into matching gift programs, your staff will follow suit. And from there, you’ll be in a great position to grow your revenue.

2. Demonstrate the value of matching gifts.

Now that we’ve covered the general steps of securing support from your leadership and staff members, it’s important to discuss specific ways you can demonstrate the value of matching gifts. 

After all, showing the value that matching gifts can bring to your organization is one of the most effective ways to convince your team that it’s worth focusing on.

We’re mostly going to talk about data here. As you make your case to both leadership and staff, think about the following:

• Use general matching gift data. The numbers speak for themselves. According to these statistics from 360MatchPro, more than 18 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs. That means there’s a chance that most of your donors are eligible to submit a match request following their donations. 

• Use the data you already have. Build on the data you’ve compiled in recent years. This can include the number of match-eligible donations you’ve received versus actually submitted matches, total revenue raised from matching gifts, and the number of donors who work for matching gift companies. You can also add up the number of match-eligible donors from last year who didn’t submit a match request, as well as the total value of those missed opportunities.

• Make it visual. Display your key data points about matching gifts in a visually appealing manner. This will make it easier for your team to digest and understand the impact matching gifts can have on your organization.

Using all types of data, both general- and organization-specific, can back up your reasons to actively pursue matching gift programs. This data will then help demonstrate the value offered to your nonprofit, and you’ll present an excellent case to your team.

3. Develop a long-term plan.

Even after you have your nonprofit team on board, there’s still a lot of work to be done. That’s why developing a long-term plan will enhance the value that matching gifts offer your organization.

Here are some ideas to keep in mind as you think long term:

• Develop a matching gift team. This team can be made up of representatives from all over your nonprofit, but it shouldn’t be too large. These team members will work on your matching gifts strategy to develop a plan, determine your budget for matching gift outreach, and analyze data and reports.

• Think about marketing. Consider all the marketing channels your team can use to reach out to donors about matching gifts. This includes social media posts, newsletters, thank-you emails and letters, and other forms of communication.

• Create a standardized process. This point especially applies if your organization has multiple chapters. It’s essential to follow a standardized process for matching gift management so you can be sure everyone is on the same page. The less confusion staff members and donors encounter, the better.

When you have long-term plans set in place, you’ll ensure that your matching gift strategy is ready for the long haul. This means keeping your leadership team and staff members in the loop and delegating responsibilities to the appropriate individuals and departments.

There are many ways to fundraise, and implementing a matching gifts strategy at your organization is essential for success. Hopefully, these tips have given you ideas for getting your nonprofit team onboard and engaged with matching gifts. Good luck!

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Matching gifts are an excellent way for nonprofits to potentially double their fundraising revenue without asking supporters for more donations, and for employers to incentivize giving and increase support of their community:

• Nonprofits, learn everything you need to know about matching gifts here.
• Companies: Download the Definitive Matching Gifts Guide for Employers here. 

Reminder: America’s Charities nonprofit members who are new Double the Donation clients are eligible for a $250 credit on any Double the Donation plan in your first year! Learn more.

Adam Weinger is the president of Double the Donation, the leading provider of tools to nonprofits to help them raise more money from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs. 

The post Matching Gift Programs: Getting Your Nonprofit Team Onboard appeared first on America's Charities.

Improving your nonprofit’s donor retention rate also makes your marketing efforts more cost-effective. Each time your nonprofit makes contact with a new donor, you must walk them through every step of the donor conversion process. Once they reach the final step of giving to your organization, convincing them to stick around and donate again next month both improves your nonprofit’s marketing investment and creates a reliable revenue stream for your nonprofit. 

Check out these on demand webinars to learn more about the power of recurring giving. 

The question, then, is how do you get donors to stay invested in your nonprofit? Our team at GivingMail is experienced with both nonprofit digital campaigns and direct mail appeals, and we’ve found that cultivating relationships with donors revolves around showing your appreciation for their support with meaningful displays of gratitude. 

Saying “thank you” sounds simple, but it quickly becomes more complicated when you take into account different kinds of donors and their unique relationships with your nonprofit. To help your fundraising team understand how to approach donors and express gratitude, we’ll walk through best practices on how to:

1. Send Thank You Cards
2. Host Donor Appreciation Events 
3. Spotlight Major Donors 
4. Create a Donor Wall 

Remember that when you thank your donors, the goal is to strengthen their connection with your nonprofit. Think about how each document builds on your current relationship and offers further opportunities for engagement and participation in your nonprofit’s community. 

1. Send Thank You Cards

Thank you cards are a relatively standard way to show your thanks, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective at making donors feel appreciated. Sending monthly donors routine thank you cards is also a low-cost way to repeatedly show your gratitude and keep your nonprofit in the back of their minds. 

Donors who have been with your nonprofit for long periods of time are particularly good candidates for thank you cards. Traditional mail appeals can help strengthen your nonprofit’s relationship with donors by including personal details such as:

• Their name. Including a donor’s name over a generic “Dear Donor” greeting lets donors know that you see them as individuals. Use your donor database or CRM to track your donors’ personal information so every thank you card created is addressed to the right person, sent to the right address, and customized to reflect their relationship with your nonprofit. 

• Their donation history. How much have they donated in the past? Have they given to a specific campaign? Donors want to know the impact of their specific donations, so reference which program they donated to and what their support accomplished to make them feel like an integral part of your nonprofit’s success. 

• Additional participation in your nonprofit. Some donors attend events, volunteer, or engage in other ways with your nonprofit. By referencing these details in your thank you card, donors will feel they are getting a truly unique message from a nonprofit that cares about their support. 

According to 360MatchPro’s fundraising statistics report, 91 percent of organizations stop acknowledging recurring gifts after three months. While a donor’s support is rarely contingent solely on being thanked, receiving regular thank yous for months to then be greeted with silence can be a bit jarring. Show your donors that you care about them no matter how long they’ve been with your nonprofit by continually showing your appreciation after each donation. 

2. Host Donor Appreciation Events

Fundraising events are not only opportunities to earn donations, they also allow your nonprofit to strengthen its relationships with current donors. In addition to mingling with donors at your regular events, consider hosting special events specifically for donors. 

A good example of a high-value fundraiser that warrants a donor celebration event is a capital campaign. Capital campaigns often end with celebratory parties as a thank you to everyone who participated, with special honors given to the major donors who contributed the bulk of the funds raised. 

Take a moment during your events to recognize your donors through speeches and toasts. In some instances, you can offer a general thank you to all donors (such as after a crowdfunding campaign), while other situations require specific, personalized recognition. For example, at an auction, be sure to take the time to honor the various businesses that contributed items or monetary support to the event.

Above all, at your donor appreciation events, be sure to give your guests something to do other than donate. Activities outside of giving help donors feel like they are part of a community rather than a money dispenser. Creating a memorable experience can be its own reward as donors are likely to spread the word about the fun event they attended with family and friends. 

3. Spotlight Major Donors

Your nonprofit has multiple communication tools at its disposal, and many of them can be used to showcase a specific contribution made by a major donor. Remember to check with donors ahead of time before spotlighting them, as some will feel flattered by the attention, while others will be less comfortable with public recognition.  

After getting the okay from your donors, determine which of your communication channels you want to use to highlight your high-end givers. Check your nonprofit database to determine your major donors’ preferred communication channels so they’ll be sure to see their spotlight once it’s posted. 

Some of the most common ways to spotlight donors are: 

• Social media. Social media posts tend to be shorter, but they also have a larger audience and are easily accessible. Your donor can promote their nonprofit involvement to their friends and family by interacting with your posts. Include an eye-catching photo or image and be sure to communicate the specific impact of your donor’s contribution, so anyone who scrolls past can quickly understand who your donor is and why his/her/their support matters.

• Your newsletter. Whether your newsletter is digital or physical, it likely has the space to add a donor of the month/week section. By doing so, you can routinely showcase donors to your nonprofit’s community. Making your spotlights a regular part of your nonprofit’s communication can make some donors feel less shy about being recognized or even inspire others in the community to get themselves on the front page of your newsletter. 

• Your website. Similar to your newsletter, your nonprofit can dedicate a section of its website towards honoring donors. You can create an entire page specifically to acknowledge key donors or, if you have a blog, you can use that channel to routinely highlight donors. Continually updating your website to spotlight donors also shows site visitors that your nonprofit is active and receiving a healthy amount of funding, which can encourage them to continue supporting your mission. 

These donor spotlight ideas tend to be low-cost and also provide an opportunity to strengthen your connections with donors by collecting brief biographies or asking them to articulate what your nonprofit means to them. Donors then feel recognized by both your nonprofit and your community, which can lead to continued participation in events, fundraisers, and other activities. 

4. Create a Donor Wall

While every donor deserves a thank you, major contributors often require more than a well-worded email. At the end of major fundraising campaigns such as capital campaigns, take a moment to assess your key donors and plan how to show your appreciation in a memorable, lasting way. 

One common strategy for retaining major donors is to create a donor wall. Donor walls are physical structures, usually housed in your nonprofit’s headquarters, that list the names of important donors. Donor walls vary in size, shape, and requirements for being honored on the wall. 

For example, some nonprofits create a monetary cut-off point for recognition while others choose to erect donor walls for specific campaigns and thus acknowledge the donors who gave specifically to that campaign or program. 

Donor walls are permanent and require a greater investment of resources than other forms of donor appreciation, so be sure to conduct your research and talk to consultants before constructing one. You can find inspiration for what you want in a donor wall by looking to other nonprofits and using online resources like this one to check out examples you may not be able to see in person.

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​Focusing on donor retention is a sustainable fundraising strategy that helps your nonprofit create reliable revenue streams. One of the most effective ways to convince donors to stay with your nonprofit is to say “thank you,” and show your appreciation for their support. Take a look at each donor’s history with your nonprofit to determine the most successful way to thank them, whether that’s through a traditional card or a large-scale donor wall.

About the author: Grant Cobb is a fundraising specialist with over 6 years of experience in the nonprofit space. Currently the head of marketing and analytics at GivingMail, he is a huge proponent of data-driven decision making and the push to bring high-level analytics and fundraising to all.

The post Improving Donor Retention: 4 Ways to Thank Your Donors appeared first on America's Charities.

But there are still hurdles to clear. People have adapted remarkably well to remote working, but there are still some areas that we’ve yet to master. This is inevitable; we’ve all been on a sharp learning curve.

Technology can be challenging enough at the best of times, and it’s constantly forcing us to ask new questions, whether it’s how to integrate new technologies into our set-up, how to train staff to use them, or, for example, “what is CCaaS?”

One of the most important challenges we face in moving to remote working is how to maintain team spirit and morale. While some people prefer the privacy of working from home, others relish and value the feeling of being part of a team – something bigger than yourself – and working towards the achievement of shared goals.

This is why it’s so important to maintain close team bonds even among people who are physically far apart from one another. Choosing the right web-based collaboration tools can go a long way to achieving this.

But it’s particularly difficult for new recruits to feel as if they’re truly part of a team when they’re being recruited and working remotely. When you’re working many miles away from your colleagues, that feeling of a common purpose is often absent.

Communication, too, can suffer: it’s not always easy for newcomers working remotely to work out who they should ask for help. Or to help them get a feel for what they’re doing and where they work. It’s crucial, therefore, that you make the effort to reach out to recruits and build trust with them. As well as fostering it between them and their colleagues.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the importance of trust at work, how remote working affects this, and then list some top tips.

The Importance of Trust at Work

Trust is the foundation of strong workplace relationships and a key building block of long-term loyalty. When you bring a new member into your team, you hope that they’ll stick around for the long haul. Not least because staff turnover is such an expensive business. Recruiting new people, training them, and then building them up to full productivity takes time and costs money, both of which are always at a premium.

For colleagues to work harmoniously with one another in any line of work, trust is essential. Colleagues have to know that they can rely on one another to do the job well and provide the support the team needs. It also comes down to personality and cultural fit as well, of course, and the importance of these shouldn’t be overlooked.

Building trust among colleagues working remotely – people who might meet in person only rarely, if ever – is especially fraught with difficulty. Normally, it could be relatively simple just to introduce colleagues to one another, go out for drinks to chat informally, and get to know each other better. Colleagues who are working on the same team but physically miles apart, however, can find it much harder to properly get to know one another.

That’s not to say that it’s impossible. Indeed, a growing number of organizations — employers of all sizes, such as those that provide business VoIP services, nonprofits focusing on a range of causes, and so many others — are making a particular effort to foster close team spirit and collaboration among remote workers. A lot of this is down to having the appropriate remote collaboration tools, but there’s more to it than that. As an employer, you also need to strive continually to improve communication within your remote team.

There are various things employers can do to strengthen bonds, foster a sense of belonging and loyalty, and build trust with new remote hires. In the next section, we’ll list a range of top tips to help you do exactly that.

6 Tips for Building Trust with Remote Hires

An engaged workforce is far more likely to be focused on its work and to stick around for the long term. But when you’re bringing new remote hires into your team, it can be hard to work out how to build this kind of employee engagement. Here are some useful suggestions you should bear in mind.

1. Don’t Neglect Training

It’s always useful, in these situations, to put yourself in the employee’s position as best you can. If you were an employee, you’d doubtless be looking for opportunities to better yourself, expand your skillset, and work your way up the career ladder.

Training, therefore, is hugely important. Remote workers must be provided not just with the training they need to do their job, but to enhance their understanding of what they’re doing and open up new opportunities.

Be sure to consult with recruits and ask them what their aspirations and goals are. This should help you get a better idea of the kind of training they might appreciate and benefit from. They’ll also no doubt respect the fact that you’ve made the effort to ask them what they think. Your business, too, will reap the rewards of this by unlocking the potential of these new recruits.

2. Ensure Everyone’s Playing to Their Strengths

It’s also important to make sure that the members of your team are performing roles for which they’re genuinely well-suited. It’s never a good idea to try and force square pegs in round holes, so to speak. If you’re recruiting new members of your team, you need to ensure that they’re playing to their strengths – this is something that applies equally whether they’re working remotely or in person.

Again, take the time to speak to new hires about what they feel their strengths are and try to allocate them tasks that suit those strengths. There will always be a degree of flexibility depending on the resources you have available. Methods such as skill-based routing, though, can help to ensure that skills are used efficiently.

3. Make Time to Socialize

Don’t forget that when working remotely, it’s vital to make allowances for proper downtime. Employees need to be able to take time away from the daily grind to chat with one another about topics that aren’t work-related. This is how people get to know each other. If everything is focused on work all the time, it’s almost impossible to get a genuine feel for what colleagues are like as individuals.

Provide employees with enough time to look up from their work to talk and get to know each other. You could also encourage them to undertake virtual team activities, like games and quizzes. This provides a welcome distraction as well as boosting team spirit.

4. Encourage Open Communication

Communication is essential in any healthy workplace. If colleagues are bottling up their anxieties, fears, or resentments, this is likely to produce a toxic environment. This, in itself, can be a distraction for employees, thereby preventing them from performing to the best of their ability.

Open communication should work in multiple ways: team leaders must be clear in their communications, employees must be free to communicate among themselves, and they should also be encouraged to come forward to discuss issues with managers.

The cornerstone of good communication is a clear allocation of responsibilities and tasks. Be sure that you’re crystal clear about what you expect of your team and the standards they expect you to set. Make sure everyone understands what work has been allocated to them; platforms like Trello and various alternatives can make this task more straightforward.

5. Reward Talent and Hard Work

Another crucial factor in building trust with new recruits is ensuring that they’re rewarded for their skills and their efforts. Again, this is something which is complicated somewhat by the shift from office-based to working from home. When you’re in an office with a colleague, it’s perhaps easier to see how they’re applying themselves as they’re in close proximity. When working remotely, it’s different.

To compensate for this, you should set clear goals and benchmarks for your colleagues to meet, so they have something to aim for and know fully what’s expected of them. Once they meet these targets, however, they need to be properly rewarded for their efforts.

For example, you could reward them with gift certificates offering them discounts at their favorite stores. You can easily find a gift certificate creator online.

6. Use Workplace Giving to Engage Employees

Workplace giving programs — many of which include virtual volunteering — engage your employees regardless of seniority and benefit your organization in a variety of ways. However, because these programs have become the virtual watercooler around which a distributed workforce gathers and shares experiences and ideas, employee giving is also a particularly useful tool in engaging new recruits.

America’s Charities research shows that most workers want opportunities to support their favorite causes while at work. When you provide your colleagues with an easy-to-use workplace giving platform, you demonstrate trust in their choices and investment in their passions. That, in turn, increases their job satisfaction while simultaneously meeting the expectations of new candidates, thereby improving your recruitment efforts.

Building Trust: Are You Ready?

One of the benefits of remote working is that it allows employers to recruit from a far wider pool of talent, as they’re no longer as constrained by distance and the need to commute. But bringing remote recruits on board requires a special effort to make them feel welcome. By following simple guidelines like these, you could go a long way to building real trust and strong personal relationships with remote recruits.

While much has changed about the way we work thanks to the advent of remote working, many of the fundamentals remain the same. Ensuring lasting trust always involves reliably open communication, honesty, good rewards for hard work, and investing in your team’s strengths and passions. And once trust is established, your team is much more likely to stick around for the long haul.

About the author: Richard Conn is the Senior Director, Search Marketing for RingCentral, a global leader in unified communications and audio conferencing solutions.

He is passionate about connecting businesses and customers and has experience working with Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Experian, Target, Nordstrom, Kayak, Hilton, and Kia.

Cover image source

The post How to Build Trust with New Hires of Your Remote Team appeared first on America's Charities.

Alongside this shift, employee attitudes about philanthropy are changing, too. Research shows workers are willing to donate to charitable causes or give their time through volunteering— in fact, they’re excited to do so. So what does this mean for you?

If you’re an employer, this means better opportunities to foster employee engagement. If you’re a nonprofit fundraising professional, this means greater support for your cause. Whatever your perspective, you must first fully understand employee motivations to take advantage of growing charitable sentiments.

With this in mind, America’s Charities released a study exploring attitudes of American workers toward workplace giving, volunteering, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The study found these top five motivations for employee giving:

1. Paid time off to volunteer
2. Employer matching gift programs
3. Easy-to-use online giving platforms
4. Volunteer grant opportunities
5. Ability to connect with colleagues and causes of their choosing

Here at Aly Sterling Philanthropy, our fundraising consultants have seen firsthand the benefits of strong bonds between nonprofits and the for-profit world. We’ll dive into this issue by first explaining why you should pay attention to trends in employee giving and what they mean for you. Then, we’ll describe the top five employee-giving motivations and provide additional tips for nonprofit professionals looking to steward donors to create long-lasting relationships. Let’s get started!

Why is employee giving so important?

Brands and nonprofits receive different benefits from employee giving, but they must work together to maximize these benefits. For nonprofit professionals, employee giving and corporate relationships can:

Expand your mission’s reach and build sustainable revenue

Nonprofits benefit from employee giving and corporate partnerships because of the fundraising boosts they provide. A central feature of these programs is payroll giving, enabling nonprofits to access recurring revenue all year long. In fact, workplace giving is considered one of the most cost-effective ways to support charities — because giving is aggregated, nonprofits save precious time and money processing a handful of larger donations throughout the year rather than thousands of individual payments along the way.

But these relationships are much more than just a funding stream. They also introduce your mission to a new audience that can bring novel ideas and a fresh perspective. Through consistent and deliberate stewardship efforts, these new audience members have the potential to become long-term supporters of your nonprofit — and even major gift donors.

Therefore, as a nonprofit professional, it’s important to analyze employee giving trends. Once you understand what drives donors, you can use your marketing platforms to encourage and empower your corporate partners to provide these enticing incentives. You’ll gain a revenue boost through increased fundraising and a community of new supporters along the way!

From the employer perspective, employee giving and community involvement can:

Enhance employee engagement and improve your brand image

By promoting employee giving and providing opportunities for community involvement, you can augment employee wellness and decrease burnout. People derive personal fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment from volunteering and donating, and leaning into this sentiment boosts employee morale.

These types of programs have also increasingly become an expectation. Research shows that 71 percent of employees want their employers to provide opportunities for them to help make a positive impact on the company’s social and environmental commitments, and community commitment is a factor when deciding where to work. CSR programs have gone from a “nice to have” job perk to a “need to have” program to retain employees.

Ultimately, emphasizing employee giving helps enhance your image as a socially-responsible business operation, which is particularly important now, as the world watches how brands respond to the pandemic.

With these benefits in mind, here are the top five employee motivations for getting involved with nonprofit causes, and how employers can respond to these desires:

Paid time off to volunteer

In its study, America’s Charities found that employees listed having paid time off to volunteer as the number one motivating factor for getting involved in charitable causes.

After working all day, taking care of kids or other family members, doing household chores, and running errands, many people find it hard to find free time to devote to volunteering. However, by receiving paid time off to get involved in a local organization, employees can contribute their time and energy without worrying about the million other things on their to-do lists.

In the study, employees expressed gratitude for employers who offer paid volunteering time, saying they appreciate employer investment in their personal growth and development outside of work.

A year after the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, virtual volunteer opportunities have become the norm. Much of the volunteering is skills-based, which not only helps workers support their communities but also develops their leadership skills and broader skill sets.

Next steps: As an employer, you likely provide other opportunities for paid time off, such as vacation time, sick time, and time to take care of personal needs. By adding paid time off for volunteering, you can invest in your employee’s overall wellbeing and promote greater community development in the process. Click here for five key steps to starting an employee volunteer and skills-giving program.

Employer matching gift programs

The existence of employer matching gift programs is another top motivating factor for employees to get involved in charitable giving. According to America’s Charities’ Definitive Matching Gifts Guide for Employers, these initiatives involve employers matching contributions made by their employees to eligible nonprofits, usually dollar for dollar up to a certain amount.

These programs are so exciting to charitable-minded employees because they can double, triple, or even quadruple the impact of their singular contributions. Employees respect corporations that put their money where their mouth is and actively support nonprofits that are close to their hearts. And 84 percent of donors are more likely to give – and another one in three would give more – if their gift is matched, meaning it’s an incredibly useful tool for nonprofits. Double the Donation offers nonprofits a widget to add to their website which makes it easy for donors to find out if their employer matches contributions.

Next steps: Be sure to investigate the process of starting up a matching gift program to get this initiative started within your organization. Or, if you already have a matching gift program, remind your employees of the opportunity and encourage them to submit their forms to capitalize on their donations.

Easy-to-use online giving platforms

People don’t want to waste time figuring out how to donate to an organization. On the corporate side, consider what matters most to you. Do you want a giving platform that integrates with your other human resources, CSR, or business processes? Do you want to do something quickly — say, help provide support after a natural disaster? Do you want a giving-only campaign or do you want to include aspects such as volunteering, gift matching, corporate grants management, and so on? What kind of reporting do you need, and how do you want to visualize the data and share it? Do you want to use your workplace giving platform to help define your corporate goals, or do you already have a clear set of goals, such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and your site needs to incorporate and reflect those goals?

On the nonprofit side, if a donation page or form is too confusing, many people will abandon it entirely rather than continue deciphering the various steps. Therefore, making sure donors can easily give to you, through a variety of mechanisms – including employee giving – is essential.

Next steps: Companies, check out this article that outlines four kinds of giving and engagement platforms available based on your goals and preferences. Nonprofits, if you’re creating your website or online donation page for your employees to support a specific organization, be sure to reference this guide for a few best practices. You must make your page easily accessible from your main site, responsive to all devices, and able to process multiple payment methods. You should also ensure your form fields are simple, perhaps by adding pre-filled gift suggestions, to make the donation process as smooth as possible.

Volunteer grant opportunities

Much like matching gift programs, volunteer grants also offer employees the opportunity to get more out of their contributions than they originally thought. However, rather than matching monetary donations, companies reward employees who volunteer a certain amount by donating a set amount of money to that charity where the employee volunteered. This maximizes the impact of their employees’ contributions, helps brands engage and support their employees, and burnishes a brand’s reputation. 

These grants, which are sometimes also known as Dollars for Doers grants, encourage employee volunteerism by empowering them to make an outsized contribution to important causes. Along with offering paid time off for volunteering and a matching gift program, volunteer grant opportunities enhance your standing as an altruistic organization dedicated to investing in causes that improve the world. Double the Donation has a comprehensive list of top volunteer grant programs.

Next steps: Show your employees you care about the causes and organizations that matter to them by implementing a Dollars for Doers program.

Ability to connect with coworkers

Employees emphasized having the opportunity to engage with colleagues as a top motivator for getting involved in charitable workplace giving. Employees often form groups to volunteer together, which creates deeper connections and friendships among coworkers. These improved relationships can contribute to smoother teamwork and better collaboration back at the office, too.

During this era of social distancing, staying connected with coworkers is essential, especially for employees who joined the team after the start of the pandemic. Virtual volunteering can be a great way for these new employees to meet the team and start forming relationships, and it can help old colleagues connect again in a new way. In many ways, workplace giving has become even more important during the pandemic — namely because these are digital programs that bring people together. 

Next steps: Learn the facts of employee giving and how you can make a difference while keeping your distance. Encourage employees to team up to participate in virtual volunteering tasks or socially-distanced volunteer opportunities. Consider sending out emails about upcoming volunteer opportunities or noting them on your shared calendar.

Tips for ongoing engagement

By now, employers likely have a good idea of how they can take employee motivations into account to promote giving and volunteerism for improved office culture. But how can nonprofit professionals make the most of increased employee altruism?

As this nonprofit consultant guide explains, access to diverse revenue streams helps nonprofits become more resilient. Utilizing multiple fundraising channels helps your organization weather crises and maintain consistent funding despite any disruptions. Your corporate partnerships are one of the many fundraising channels you must optimize to improve your long-term fundraising strategy.

For example, you might be carrying out a capital campaign that requires a significant amount of fundraising, and your corporate partners will be one of the key funding sources in that effort. The key to maximizing employee giving and corporate partnerships is improving your donor stewardship approach.

As a fundraising professional, your engagement with employee donors shouldn’t end when you receive a donation from them. It’s imperative that you follow-up with individual givers to thank them for their contributions and keep them engaged in your mission by providing frequent updates on your projects and programs. Through donor recognition efforts, you can transform these one-time or infrequent donors into long-term supporters of your organization.

Be sure to also check in regularly with your corporate partners to thank them for their support, highlight the benefits of matching gift and volunteer grant programs for your cause and ensure they’re promoting these initiatives to employees.

Whether you’re an employer or a nonprofit professional, you should now have a clear understanding of what drives employees to get involved in nonprofit causes and how their engagement benefits your organization. Use this knowledge to your advantage by actively incorporating employee motivations into your strategy moving forward. Good luck!

About the author: Long before Aly Sterling founded her eponymous consulting firm, she was solving the unique yet similar problems encountered by nonprofit organizations.

Her decision to start her own business in 2007 was driven by her belief in leadership as the single most important factor in organizational success, and her determination to work with multiple causes at one time to scale societal change.

Aly’s expertise includes fundraising, strategic planning, search consultation, and board leadership development for the well-positioned nonprofit. She is regularly sought for comment by trade and mainstream media, including the Chronicle of Philanthropy and U.S. News & World Report. She has contributed to publications of BoardSource and The Governance Institute, as well as the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and The Giving Institute.

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