The matching-gift money nonprofits never collect
84% of donors say they're more likely to give once they know a match is offered. Most nonprofits still never surface the question at the moment it would matter most.
Published September 2, 2026
A significant amount of money that donors are already entitled to send a nonprofit — through their employer's own matching-gift program — simply never gets claimed. Matching-gift database research puts the unclaimed total at an estimated $4–7 billion annually, with only about 1.31% of individual contributions actually matched at the average nonprofit, well below what employer programs would support if donors followed through.
This particular research is produced by a company that sells matching-gift software, so it's worth reading with that in mind — but the underlying database it's built on (24,000+ companies with matching programs) is real and independently checkable, and the core dynamic it describes is consistent with what fundraisers report anecdotally: the money is there, and most of it never gets asked for.
Why the gap exists
A matching gift isn't automatic. A donor gives, and then has to separately remember that their employer offers a match, find the process, and submit the request — usually with no direct benefit to the donor themselves beyond the satisfaction of doubling their impact. Every one of those steps is a place the process can quietly drop.
What this looks like in practice
- A company-lookup tool on the donation confirmation page itself, so a donor can check their employer's match eligibility in the moment.
- A follow-up reminder within 24 hours of the donation — reported open rates on this kind of prompt run well above a typical nonprofit email.
- Tracking match-eligible donors in the CRM so follow-up isn't dependent on a manual list someone has to remember to build.
Combined with fixing the default on the donation page itself, this is one of the more direct ways a nonprofit can raise more from the exact donors it already has, without finding a single new one.
Frequently asked questions
An estimated $4–7 billion annually, per matching-gift database research — and only about 1.31% of individual contributions get matched at the average nonprofit, well below what's actually available through employer programs.
Reported figures suggest yes — 84% of donors say they're more likely to give once they know a match is offered, and matching-gift reminder emails sent within 24 hours of a donation get roughly 2.6 times the average nonprofit email open rate.
Mostly because donors simply aren't asked at the right moment. Employer matching requires the donor to take an extra step after giving — submitting a request through their employer — and that step gets missed when nothing prompts it.