March Matchness: Why Givebutter is giving back $20K to nonprofits

Please note that this blog post was originally published in April 2024 and may contain outdated information. Visit our March Matchness hub to learn more about Givebutter Gives Back and see the latest matching gift resources from Givebutter.

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Offering a matching donation opportunity can ignite a wave of enthusiasm and new contributions for any fundraiser. In fact, over 80% of donors say they’re more likely to contribute to a campaign if their donation will be matched!

To empower our community of changemakers to put this impactful fundraising strategy to use for their own good causes, we’ve launched new, built-in donation matching software and a special edition of Givebutter Gives Back: the March Matchness challenge! 🏀

Get the full play-by-play on March Matchness, including how it worked and which campaigns we selected to receive a $5K match to galvanize supporters and (literally) double donations this spring.  

What is March Matchness all about? 

This March, we encouraged nonprofits to tap into the power of matching gift programs by crafting standout fundraising campaigns they can submit for a chance to receive a matching donation from Givebutter. The top four most engaging campaigns each received a $5K donation to promote as a matching gift to their community, bringing in a surge of renewed excitement and support as their campaigns continue in April and beyond. 

On average, organizations that use the new matching donation feature on their Givebutter campaigns raise 50% more compared to campaigns without it!

Similar to other Givebutter Gives Back initiatives, like Giving Tuesday and Black Philanthropy Month, our panel of judges scored March Matchness campaigns based on a set of criteria that brought together the core elements of a successful fundraising effort, including: 

• Effectively showcasing the organization’s mission and impact 📣 Do campaigns elevate their story with engaging videos, photos, graphics, impact statistics, campaign updates, or livestreams?
•  Making the most of Givebutter’s free features 🧈 What combination of tools do campaigns put to use, from peer-to-peer fundraising to text-to-donate, supporter feed campaign updates, custom donation amounts, recurring donations, and more?
• Mobilizing community engagement 🔥 How does the campaign foster community building and supporter engagement? Do they include P2P and team fundraising and a fundraising goal bar? Do they share additional volunteer opportunities, supporter feed comments, or any other creative ideas?

The Givebutter Success Team even offered special Office Hours sessions throughout March to review submissions and help March Matchness participants improve their campaigns. In the end, nearly 1,200 changemakers submitted fantastic campaigns, and our panel of judges had the unenviable task of selecting only four finalists.

Meet the slam-dunk donation recipients 

These four nonprofits crafted campaigns that stood out as shining examples of impactful storytelling, strong community engagement, and an excellent use of fundraising tools. Each received a $5K donation from Givebutter to use as a matching donation to keep their momentum going toward their goal this spring.  

Autism Society of Minnesota 🧩

An annual event for this long-running organization, Steps for Autism 2024 “combines our favorite parts of both online and in-person fundraising,” says ASM’s Director of Marketing and Communications Zephyr James, “from peer-to-peer teams, an in-person event with QR codes to fundraise, a resource and activity fair, and fundraising incentive prizes tailored to our community.” 

KIOO Project 📸

In honor of Women's History Month and the birthday of their founder, the KIOO Project launched their Through Her Lens Fundraiser in March with a peer-to-peer fundraising component and a strong storytelling element featuring video, photos, and a crystal clear snapshot of their impact and mission of fostering gender equality through the arts.

The Prospector Theater 🎬

Instead of asking supporters to donate, The Prospector's 2024 March Matchness Campaign invites their community to “Sparkle With Us!” This nonprofit movie theater, which provides competitive and inclusive employment for people with disabilities, showcases the good they bring to their community through powerful videos, photos, team fundraising, and supporter feed engagement.

Turner Syndrome Foundation 💚 

The Online Fundraiser to Benefit Turner Syndrome Foundation is raising funds and awareness for this “complex female condition that is not widely known, or understood, but affects 1 in every 2,000 girls and women worldwide,” explains Laura Fasciano, TSF’s Director and Founding President. Their campaign clearly lays out several ways that supporters can join in the effort, including directions for creating a fundraising team and compelling graphics that supporters can share on social media to spread the word. 

Stay tuned to see how these campaigns utilize their $5K matching donations to rally their communities and raise even more over the coming weeks. We can’t wait to watch these campaigns double their impact and inspire other changemakers to seek out matching gifts for their causes!

Level up your own fundraising game

Even though March Matchness has come to an end, securing a matching donation for your fundraising campaigns is an easy and engaging way to multiply your impact. Givebutter makes the entire matching donation process effortless for everyone involved by showcasing donation match details right on your fundraising page and spotlighting the company or individual generously providing the match.

Here are a few other quick tips you can use to supercharge your own fundraising campaigns:  

•  Share your progress 🚀 Add a thermometer or goal bar to your campaign to show real-time campaign progress and build momentum toward your fundraising goals.
• Articulate impact 🎁 Inspire generosity by suggesting meaningful donation amounts paired with compelling labels. 
• Add media 🖼 Include photos or videos to your campaign to tell your story in more engaging and creative ways. 
• Grow relationships 💛 Respond to and engage with your supporters directly in the supporter feed to build stronger connections with your donors.
•  Keep it simple 🔗 Customize your campaign URL to make it easy for supporters to find and share your campaign.

Sign up for your free Givebutter account to use our seamless matching donation feature and put these ideas into action for your next fundraiser!