By: Ali Meisel, Director of Development
More people are turning to their workplace giving programs to make their donations go further for the
causes they are passionate about. Thanks to opportunities like matching gift programs, corporate sponsorship or grant invitations, donations in honor of employee volunteer hours, paid time off for community service, and pro-bono or discounted services for nonprofits, employees are able to amplify the impact of their giving and volunteerism. Each company has its own blend of offerings and processes for participation, but the result is the same — expanded impact.
As an example, ScholarBridge Board member Jane Titova recently supported Fulfillment Fund through her employer’s, Wedbush Securities, Giving Tuesday matching gift drive. During this international celebration of generosity, Wedbush matched participating employees’ donations two-to-one, turning each dollar of Jane’s donation into three. This multiplying effect is extremely powerful and enables those donated dollars to go further.
ScholarBridge Board Chair Sarah Lang also greatly amplifies her impact on Fulfillment Fund thanks to the support of her employer, Capital Group. Each time she makes a personal donation, she is sure to request their two-to-one employer match. She also selects Fulfillment Fund as the recipient of anniversary donations from Capital Group to recognize her years of service with the company. Furthermore, the company honors Sarah and three other Capital Group team members, Juan Anderson, Katherine Ngo (a Fulfillment Fund alumnae), and Bryan Nielsen, for their volunteer leadership on our auxiliary boards and committees through grant opportunities and donations for volunteer hours.
How Can I Leverage My Employer to Support Fulfillment Fund?
First thing first: find out if your employer already has a matching gift or workplace giving program.
- There are a few search engines you can use to see what your employer offers; check out the tool on this page from Charity Navigator to look up your company.
- Look in your employee handbook. Your employee onboarding packet may include matching gift programs and other workplace-giving opportunities.
- Inquire within your People and Culture/Human Resources, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Philanthropy, or Marketing department. Each company has a unique place where efforts like this exist, so exploration may be key.
Then, learn the rules of the game like Jane and Sarah to maximize your donation and find more ways to give. While many employee match programs will require you to do some legwork to set it up, your work will pay off and multiply the impact you can have on our students.
If your employer doesn’t have a match program, consider planting the seed or talking to them about Fulfillment Fund’s transformative effect on our community. You may discover that your company wants to get involved in local causes but may not know where to start. And who knows, your passion might inspire them to sponsor the next Fulfillment Fund event!
If you would like to discuss your specific situation with a Fulfillment Fund team member, please contact Carole Crone at ccrone@fulfillment.org or Ali Meisel at ameisel@fulfillment.org.