It's Time to Secure a Match Donor for Your EOY Campaign

When my husband and I first started dating, I was absolutely appalled that he would take the last of anything off the dinner table without asking, “is anyone going to eat that?”

 

Bread rolls.

Chicken.

Brownies.

 

Didn't matter - he would just take it. 

 

Finally, I asked him about it, “Why don't you ever ask if anyone wants the last of anything before taking it to eat?”

 

He looked at me like I had two heads. 

 

Then he replied like he couldn't believe it bothered me, “I grew up with two other brothers,” he explained. “If you didn't take it - you wouldn't eat it.”

 

See I grew up in a household with me (the elder sister) and a younger brother. 

 

My husband is the middle of three brothers who all grew up to be over 6'3+ tall. My guess is they went through quite a bit more groceries compared to us. 😉

 

He grew up in the definition of “you snooze you lose” at meal time. 

 

Right now, your fundraising dinner table is full of opportunities - which is why you need to start reaching out to potential match donors for your end-of-year fundraising campaign NOW.

 

Yesterday, I gave folks in the Fundraising Template Membership a pitch template to use for their match donor outreach. If you want that too - you can sign up for the cancel-at-anytime-membership here. 

 

Here are 3 ways to ensure your match donor pitches are successful ⬇️

 

First, you know your donors best including what amount to ask them for. I always recommend finding a match donor who can donate 25% of your campaign. So, if you are raising $100k, try finding a donor who can commit to matching $25k.

 

Second, your most likely match donors are going to be:

  • Past donors

  • Board Members

  • Warm prospects who have been just waiting for the right opportunity (and someone to ask them hint hint)

  • Donors who want public recognition (brands, companies)

 

Start with these types of potential match donors first before reaching out to other folks.

 

And finally, when you send your pitch email - send it from your personal email account - not your email service provider (aka Mailchimp).

 

BONUS: It is my strong recommendation to start making your match donor asks now. The fundraisers who wait until October are sadly going to find themselves on the losing side of asking because they snoozed a little too long. 

 

In this situation, I want you to be more like my husband and just go for it 😉.

end of year, fundraising, major giftsJessica CampbellComment