The American Cancer Society (also known as ACS) is renowned for its efforts in cancer research, patient support, and advocacy. However, one of the lesser-known secrets to its fundraising success lies in its effective use of matching gifts. By doubling—and in some cases tripling—donor contributions through corporate matching gift programs, ACS has been able to significantly increase its fundraising results.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how the American Cancer Society harnessed the power of matching gifts to double donations—and see what other nonprofits can learn from their approach. Specifically, we’ll cover:
In a recent presentation, the Double the Donation team sat down with the American Cancer Society to discuss the organization’s matching gift strategy. Interested in learning more about how they brought about standout matching gift success? Feel free to watch a brief snippet from the webinar here—or skip below to access a recording of the full, on-demand event.
Let’s begin!
American Cancer Society: Organizational Overview
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Founded in 1913, ACS has become one of the most influential nonprofits in the fight against cancer, funding groundbreaking research, providing support for patients and survivors, and advocating for cancer prevention and early detection.
Today, the American Cancer Society’s ongoing efforts are powered by volunteers, donors, and corporate partners alike, with matching gift programs playing a critical role in increasing the impact of donations. All in all, this ensures that the organization can continue making strides toward a cancer-free future with the right resources in tow.
How the American Cancer Society Secured Internal Buy-In for Matching Gifts
In a recent conversation with key stakeholders—including volunteers and paid staff alike—the American Cancer Society discovered a gap in knowledge that’s proven to be hindering the organization’s matching gift fundraising success.
When internal teams lack awareness around the programs, they’re not taking the steps to rally individual supporters to get involved. That means matching gifts are slipping through the cracks, and teams aren’t prepared to stop it from happening.
As a result, the organization made it a priority to raise awareness of matching gifts across its network—starting with internal staff and fundraising volunteers.
Here’s what it decided to do:
- Ensure team-wide knowledge. Start by determining exactly how familiar your audience is with the idea of matching gifts. Once you have a baseline for knowledge, make a plan to increase awareness across your staff and volunteers.
- Seek input from your team. See what kinds of materials your team would find most valuable. As they’re the ones who will be distributing the resources, it makes sense to gather their opinions from the start.
- Equip its fundraising team with matching gift materials. Your fundraising team plays a hands-on role in driving donor support. Make sure they’re ready to encourage matching gifts by providing them with helpful resources ahead of time.
Remember this: The more an internal team is prepared to proactively pursue matching gifts, the more effective a response it can expect.
American Cancer Society’s External Matching Gift Resources
In order to combat the lack of matching gift awareness the organization was seeing, the ACS team took time to create donor-facing materials that provided educational context surrounding the programs.
These resources include—but are not limited to—the following:
- A matching gift Q&A resource, complete with common inquiries and the appropriate responses.
- An explainer doc that demonstrates how an individual will submit a matching gift to their employer.
- A brief video that overviews the matching gift opportunity and visualizes how an individual will get involved.
Once the team had its matching gift materials created, it was time to share them with its network, both internally and externally. This allowed team members and supporters to grow their knowledge of the programs and ultimately participate on the organization’s behalf.
Supercharging Matching Gift Efforts With Double the Donation
The American Cancer Society shared a lot about their match fundraising efforts. But one thing we want to focus on is the role that our own tools played in the organization’s matching gift success. This included:
- Embedding the matching gift database tool on the organization’s dedicated Match Page.
- Ensuring that all supplemental messaging complements Double the Donation’s automated marketing efforts.
- Integrating matching gifts into their online fundraising pages.
The bottom line is this: the easier it is for donors to locate information about matching gifts, the more inclined they’ll be to get involved. And Double the Donation makes matching gifts easier for everyone involved!
Get More Insights From the On-Demand Event Replay
We covered many of the most essential insights from the ACS matching gifts presentation in this overview. Still, there’s more to learn!
To hear the full conversation between our team and the American Cancer Society, get the webinar replay by filling out the form below.
Wrapping Up & Additional Resources
The American Cancer Society’s ability to double donations through matching gifts highlights the transformative power of this fundraising tool. By making it easy for donors to access matching gift opportunities, ACS has maximized the impact of each contribution.
Today, nonprofits of all shapes and sizes can learn from the American Cancer Society’s strategy to amplify their own fundraising efforts and make a greater difference. Matching gifts not only increase funds but also strengthen donor relationships, providing a win-win opportunity for the causes they serve.
Keep learning! Read our recommended resources to continue growing your knowledge on all things matching gifts:
