How Lehigh College Mastered Its Matching Present Month Push

Within the aggressive world of upper schooling fundraising, standing out in a donor’s inbox is a continuing problem. Universities are repeatedly vying for supporters’ consideration, in search of the funding wanted to help scholar scholarships, facility upgrades, and tutorial packages. Whereas main items and annual fund drives are customary follow, many establishments are sitting on a goldmine of untapped potential: company matching items.

Lehigh College lately demonstrated {that a} strategic, targeted strategy to this income stream can yield unbelievable outcomes. By implementing a devoted matching present month push, using compelling storytelling methods, and leveraging superior fundraising software program to do it, this college noticed important progress in each donor engagement and precise income.

On this deep-dive case examine, we’ll discover the highly effective techniques the establishment used. Particularly, we’ll cowl:

Lehigh College’s matching present success wasn’t unintended; it was the results of a fastidiously crafted plan that mixed emotional reference to technical precision. Let’s dive in to be taught extra and see how your group can implement a few of these main suggestions.

Entry the on-demand webinar replay to listen to straight from the Lehigh College improvement group about their technique success!

The Strategic Pivot to a “Matching Present Month” Marketing campaign

Many nonprofits and universities deal with matching items as a passive income stream. They could embody a refined hyperlink on their donation type or a line in a affirmation e-mail, hoping donors will take the initiative to analysis their employer’s program. Lehigh College, nevertheless, determined to take a proactive stance. As a substitute of ready for matches to trickle in, they leveraged a significant business alternative: “Matching Present Month.”

For a number of years now, February has been widely known within the nonprofit sector as Matching Present Month. Whereas many establishments let this observance cross with out fanfare, the Lehigh group made the calculated determination to completely capitalize on it. Sitting between the high-volume end-of-year giving season and the spring fundraising push, the present designation of February as a time to deal with company giving supplied the right anchor for his or her technique. By aligning their inside objectives with this partaking occasion, Lehigh College remodeled a quiet time of yr right into a vibrant marketing campaign centered on maximizing impression.

Leveraging the present “Match Month” idea does two issues psychologically for the donor:

• First, it educates them; highlighting a particular month devoted to the follow alerts that it is a customary, vital a part of philanthropy, not an obscure administrative course of.
• Second, it creates a “bandwagon impact.” When donors see a coordinated push throughout social media, e-mail, and unsolicited mail tied to a broader motion, they really feel a higher sense of urgency to take part.

Lehigh’s technique concerned extra than simply asking for cash. It concerned a complete audit of their previous efficiency and a willingness to broaden their attain. In earlier years, their common e-mail viewers for such campaigns was round 2,200 recipients. For this push, they considerably expanded their scope, concentrating on over 9,000 recipients. This boldness in increasing the funnel was step one towards their record-breaking outcomes.

The Unbelievable Affect of Human-Centric Storytelling

Knowledge and {dollars} are vital, however they hardly ever open wallets on their very own. Relatively, individuals give to individuals. One of the efficient techniques Lehigh College employed was shifting from generic solicitations to emotionally resonant storytelling. For his or her February matching present month push, they didn’t simply clarify how matching items work; they confirmed matching items in motion via the lives of their alumni.

The centerpiece of this content material technique was a function story titled “A Excellent Match — in Extra Methods than One.” This narrative strategy remodeled a largely transactional course of right into a powerfully relational one.

Meet Danielle and Brian

The story featured Danielle Spar ’10 and Brian Cunningham ’10, a pair whose lives had been inextricably linked by their time at Lehigh College. They met on the college, which set in movement a collection of “excellent matches:” the right college, a life-changing honors program, rewarding careers, and finally, marriage and household.

The narrative was sensible in the best way that it highlighted the “why” earlier than the “how.” It detailed their gratitude for the Martindale Pupil Associates Honors Program and the professors who toasted to the donors who got here earlier than them. This established a legacy of giving; Danielle and Brian wished to honor that legacy.

Crucially, the story defined that as a result of they work for corporations with beneficiant matching present packages (particularly Goldman Sachs and Financial institution of America), the beneficiant donors may simply triple their impression for his or her alma mater. Brian famous, “It’s a really highly effective factor to do, particularly if it’s accomplished yr after yr.”

By centering the marketing campaign round a relatable, human story, Lehigh made the idea of matching items tangible. As a substitute of simply asking for cash, they confirmed alumni how their friends had been maximizing their impression with out digging deeper into their very own pockets.

Learn the total story right here.

Profitable Storytelling Metrics

The outcomes of this content-first technique had been plain. On the earth of digital advertising and marketing, engagement is the precursor to conversion. The net visitors stats for February paint a transparent image of what donors choose:

• Generic Web page Efficiency: The final college matching present info web page acquired 76 views.
• Story Web page Efficiency: The “Excellent Match” story web page acquired 428 views (a 463% improve!).

This huge disparity proves that donors are much more more likely to have interaction with content material that connects a technical fundraising mechanism (like matching items) to a private narrative (like Brian and Danielle’s). The story served because the “hook,” and the matching present info was the “sinker.”

Implementing a Profitable Multi-Channel Advertising Technique

An ideal story is ineffective if nobody reads it, and Lehigh College understood that trendy donors are distracted and fragmented throughout numerous media platforms. To chop via the noise, they executed a strong, multi-channel advertising and marketing technique. They didn’t depend on a single e-mail blast. Relatively, they created an ecosystem of communication that reached donors the place they had been.

E-mail Advertising Mastery

E-mail stays the workhorse of nonprofit fundraising, however “batch and blast” methods have gotten much less and fewer efficient. Fortunately, Lehigh used good segmentation and constant branding to drive outcomes.

First, they ensured consistency. For your entire month of February, the event workplace included a particular matching present snippet on the backside of each e-mail despatched out, whatever the main matter (see the instance beneath). This system, generally known as “piggybacking,” ensures that even when a donor opens an e-mail about an alumni occasion or a extra basic publication, they’re nonetheless reminded of the matching present alternative. It builds unconscious consciousness over time.

Second, their particular “Matching Present Month” e-mail marketing campaign was notably aggressive in its attain. As talked about, they focused 9,100 recipients, a major soar from earlier averages. This viewers included current-year donors in addition to those that had given final yr (LYBUNTs). The efficiency metrics had been excellent:

• Open Charge: The first e-mail achieved a 56% open charge. To place this in perspective, the business common for nonprofit emails usually hovers round 25-30%. Lehigh greater than doubled the usual.
• Click on-Throughs: Greater than 86 people clicked via to the web site, the very best recorded quantity for an identical present e-mail on the college (boasting a 330% improve in comparison with the earlier peak of 20 clicks).

Bridging the Hole with Direct Mail

In an more and more digital world, bodily mail has a novel energy, particularly for older demographics or high-net-worth people who might not be glued to their smartphones. For that reason, Lehigh didn’t abandon conventional mail; they optimized it.

The college’s improvement group designed a month-to-month solicitation letter particularly for donors who had been recognized to work for matching present corporations and who had made a present the prior month. This can be a extremely certified phase: they’ve already proven intent to present, and they’re match-eligible. The letter wasn’t a generic “pricey pal” observe; it was a focused instrument to drive engagement.

To bridge the offline-to-online hole, Lehigh included an simply scannable QR code within the letter (pictured above). This instrument enabled recipients to scan the paper with their telephone and be taken on to the matching present webpage. Over 4 months, this QR code generated a complete of 26 scans. Whereas this quantity is decrease than e-mail clicks, these are high-value interactions. A donor who takes the time to scan a bodily letter is usually extremely motivated.

Social Media Engagement

To additional spherical out the technique, Lehigh College’s advertising and marketing group designed a collection of vibrant, eye-catching banners and social graphics. These weren’t static; they had been rotated weekly to maintain the content material recent. The channels included:

• Instagram Tales
• Fb Tales
• Fb Feed
• LinkedIn Feed

Apparently sufficient, however maybe unsurprisingly for an expert giving matter, LinkedIn proved to be probably the most highly effective driver. Since matching items are tied to employment, selling them on an expert networking web site is a pure match. The LinkedIn posts generated the vast majority of social visitors to the varsity’s matching present content material on-line. Try the instance submit beneath!

The Function of Fundraising Software program in Lehigh’s Matching Present Month Push

Strategic advertising and marketing drives visitors, however the precise infrastructure captures income. Thankfully, Lehigh’s capacity to establish match-eligible donors and course of these requests was powered by a major funding in fundraising expertise. On October 1, previous to the February push, Lehigh applied Double the Donation’s fundraising software program.

Earlier than this implementation, the method of uncovering matching items was probably guide and reactive. Workers must depend on donors self-reporting their eligibility or checking employer lists on their very own. This creates friction and “drop-off” by which a donor intends to match however finally will get misplaced within the paperwork.

Right here’s how a built-out software program toolkit helps.

Decreasing Donor Friction

The brand new software program built-in straight into Lehigh’s present fundraising ecosystem, the important thing function being the streamlined search instrument. When a donor is on the giving web page or the devoted matching present web page (pictured beneath), they will merely sort their employer’s identify into an embedded search bar.

The database immediately acknowledges the corporate and offers the particular varieties, pointers, and subsequent steps required by that employer in actual time. In lots of circumstances, it offers a direct hyperlink to the corporate’s worker portal, finally eradicating the guesswork. A donor like Brian or Danielle doesn’t have to name their HR. As a substitute, the data is introduced to them straight for the time being of giving.

Lehigh redesigned its matching present webpage within the spring of 2024 to heart this search instrument. This web page turned the “hub” for all of the advertising and marketing spokes. A mix of QR codes, e-mail hyperlinks, and social media posts all directed visitors to this central, automated hub.

Analyzing the Fundraising Marketing campaign’s Matching Present Outcomes

Did the funding in a devoted month, skilled storytelling, and matching present database software program repay? The numbers converse for themselves.

Lehigh College ran the numbers after its fiscal yr close-out, however even the preliminary information from the February push confirmed huge ROI. When evaluating the interval from October 1 (the software program implementation date) via February in opposition to the very same timeframe the earlier yr, the expansion was substantial.

Monetary Affect

The college reported a greater than $37,000 improve in matching present income year-over-year for that interval. For a mid-sized improvement program, an additional $37,000 in unrestricted or designated funds is a significant win. That is income that requires no further stewardship occasions, galas, or main present officer journey. It’s effectivity at its best. Simply consider all the additional college students that may be supported with that funding!

Quantity Affect

Past the greenback quantity, the amount of participation elevated. Lehigh noticed nearly 100 further matching present donations in comparison with the earlier yr. This metric is probably much more vital than the income determine as a result of it signifies a behavioral shift within the donor base.

As soon as a donor submits an identical present request, they’re extremely more likely to do it once more in future years. Lehigh hasn’t simply captured $37k in one-time money. They’ve cultivated 100 donors who now perceive the method and are conditioned to double their impression on an annual foundation.

FAQ: Lehigh College’s Matching Present Month Wins

Lehigh College’s record-breaking matching present month push was the results of cautious planning, cross-departmental collaboration, and strategic execution. That can assist you higher perceive the finer particulars of their strategy and how one can apply these classes to your personal group, we’ve compiled solutions to among the most continuously requested questions on their marketing campaign.

Q: What’s the finest time to host a “Matching Present Month” push?

A: “Matching Present Month” is historically noticed in February of every yr. Nevertheless, your group can select to advertise matching items every time it matches finest into your fundraising calendar. The best time for a devoted matching present month push is solely every time you possibly can commit the assets to a sustained, 30-day push with out competing with different main asks.

Q: Past Match Month, what are another alternatives to advertise matching items?

A: Whereas Lehigh College’s success proves the facility of a concentrated matching present marketing campaign in February, a strong matching present advertising and marketing technique shouldn’t be restricted to a single month. Listed here are some key alternatives to maintain the momentum going:

• Begin-of-12 months Observe-Ups (January): The start of the yr is a “golden window” for retroactive matching. Many donors who gave through the busy vacation season might not have submitted their match requests but. Crucially, many main firms (comparable to Dwelling Depot and Greatest Purchase) provide a grace interval, permitting staff to submit matches for donations made within the earlier calendar yr via January thirty first or later.
• Match Insanity (March): Piggybacking on the joy of school basketball, “Match Insanity” campaigns are a superb method to gamify matching present fundraising. That is notably efficient for universities like Lehigh, however it could work properly for nearly any nonprofit.
• Seasonal Reminders (Spring & Summer time): Don’t let the center of the yr grow to be a lifeless zone. Spring is a time for “cleansing up” free ends. Subsequently, remind donors to examine their eligibility. Summer time, sometimes a slower fundraising season, is a good time to interact donors with lighter, enjoyable messaging, comparable to “Make a splash this summer season by doubling your present.”
• Finish-of-12 months & Giving Tuesday (Nov-Dec): The tip-of-year giving season is probably the most essential time for nonprofits. As donors rush to make tax-deductible contributions, you will need to guarantee matching items are a part of the dialog. Corporations like CVS Well being and 3M have strict end-of-year deadlines, including a layer of pure urgency.
• Affinity Dates: Lastly, align matching present messaging with dates that matter to your particular mission. In case you are an environmental group, push for company matches on Earth Day. In case you are an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, deal with Satisfaction Month. This creates a pure connection between the donor’s values, the company companion’s objectives, and your total mission.

For much more actionable and well timed marketing campaign concepts, try our Matching Present Content material Calendar information!

Q: How do we discover donor tales like Danielle and Brian’s?

A: Have a look at your fundraising information! Run a report of donors who’ve efficiently matched their items previously few years. Then, attain out to them and ask, “Why did you select to match your present?” Most donors are flattered to be requested and longing for an opportunity to share their tales to encourage others.

Q: Do we want particular software program to copy this success?

A: When you can run a advertising and marketing marketing campaign with out devoted software program, processing the inflow of requests can grow to be tough by yourself. For that reason, instruments that automate identification and submission (like Double the Donation) are important for scaling. With out software program to streamline your efforts, your group might drown in paperwork, or donors might quit resulting from advanced employer necessities or a scarcity of steerage via the method.

Wrapping Up & Subsequent Steps

Lehigh College’s success gives a tangible blueprint for increased schooling and nonprofit fundraising. By humanizing the impression of matching items via storytelling, using a multi-channel promotion technique, and investing in the precise instruments, the varsity remodeled its matching present efficiency from passive to proactive.

Wanting forward, the Lehigh group plans to broaden its technique even additional. They’re presently attending conferences to learn to incorporate volunteer grants into their fundraising efforts. Moreover, they plan to combine “Matching Wednesday” into their platform subsequent November, persevering with to search for new angles to interact their alumni base.

The work is rarely completed, however with a stable basis of information and expertise, the longer term appears to be like vibrant.

Prepared to spice up your matching present income? Request a demo of Double the Donation to see how our instruments may also help you establish extra match-eligible donors and drive income progress similar to Lehigh College.