The $25,000 Matching Gift That Changed Everything - A Case Study

We strive for meticulous fundraising event planning to eliminate surprises and anticipate outcomes. As highlighted in last month's blog, "Even Magicians Rehearse!", we are strong advocates for thorough preparation and adherence to well-structured plans.

However, even with the best event planning, delightful surprises can occur. This is a story about one such unexpected, positive turn of events.

We arrived at the event for Girls Inc., Shelbyville/Shelby County, which was an appeal-only fundraiser with no auction. Everything was proceeding as anticipated. I completed my routine checks and prepared for the appeal, expecting a smooth execution.

Our initial donor appeal strategy was as follows:

• $2,500 level: 1 pre-committed donor in attendance

• $1,000 level: 1 pre-committed donor in attendance, 2 not present

• $500 level: 2 pre-committed donors not present

• $50 level: 1 pre-committed donor not present

Approximately 30 minutes before the event began, our President & CEO, Amy, approached me with incredible news: Horseshoe Indianapolis Racing & Casino had arrived, pledging $25,000, and asked if we could start the appeal at that level. My immediate response was, "That's fantastic news! However, no, we can't start there since we have no gifts at $10,000 or $5,000. But, we can use it as a matching gift in our appeal, if your donor is amenable."

For those unfamiliar, a matching gift is a pre-committed donation from a generous donor used to inspire further giving during an event. Instead of announcing it as a top-level gift and moving on, we introduce it later at a specific giving level to effectively double the impact of donors in the room. This makes donors feel that their contribution will go further for the organization and sometimes results in them stretching to a higher-level gift.

Bringing in the people who benefit most from giving is a great way to drive donations at your auction or fundraising gala.

Amy relayed the idea to the donors at Horseshoe Indianapolis Racing & Casino, who were thrilled at the prospect of doubling their contribution for the cause and inspiring others to give generously.

Our revised plan was to use the $25,000 to match gifts at the $2,500 level, rolling the matching funds down to the next level if necessary. When the appeal moment arrived, here's how it all unfolded:

At the $2,500 level, I announced, "Friends, we have exciting news! A donor wants to match all gifts given at the $2,500 level, up to $25,000! This means your $2,500 gift becomes $5,000. Let's see if we can double your impact right now!" (Notice the persuasive language? Are you already feeling compelled to give?)

As you recall, we had one pre-committed donor at this level, who promptly raised their card. I hoped for a few more hands before rolling the match down. What happened next was truly remarkable. With a gentle nudge to the crowd after that first gift and a brief pause, two more hands went up. We were at three—inspiring! 

After another ask at the $2,500 level and another beat, two more hands appeared. Amazing! We were halfway to meeting the match. 

"Would anyone else like to join our donors at the $2,500 level?" Two more hands went up. OMG, we are three away from making this match. 

“Friends, we need three more hands, and we will have made $50,000 on this first level of giving." Boom! Another hand. 

"We need two more!" Boom! Another hand. 

"This room will erupt with applause if we get one more..." BINGO! The last hand shot up. The crowd erupted in cheers. We celebrated, and the $25,000 was successfully doubled.

Matching gifts are truly momentum magic for fundraising events.

Key takeaways from this successful match:

• The pre-committed donor at the $1,000 level upgraded their gift to $2,500.

• The eight other surprise gifts would likely have been at the $1,000 level or lower, not $2,500. Without the match, we might have had one gift at $2,500 and perhaps nine at $1,000.

• Given the small crowd, this match was a game-changer at the top giving level.

Without the match, the expected total might have been $2,500 + $9,000 = $11,500.

The $25,000 match resulted in $13,500 more raised. This $25,000 gift significantly boosted support for the nonprofit, inspiring individuals to stretch their contributions for the cause and leading to a much greater outcome than the potential $11,500 or less.

Now, some words of advice:

1. Hire a professional benefit auctioneer for your appeal and matching gifts. We possess the skill to apply gentle pressure and know precisely when to pause that extra second to encourage participation.

2. Avoid having a match at every giving level. The objective is not to match every gift but to strategically place a match where it can encourage donors to increase their giving from previous years.

3. Engage with your donors in advance. Offer them the opportunity to be true superheroes for your organization. Then, collaborate with your consultants or benefit auctioneer to determine the ideal placement for the matching gift within your appeal, preferably well in advance.

"As of right now, we are sitting at $150,000 generated by our event. My goal was to get as close to or over $100,000 as we could, but my goodness, we blew that out of the water! It is officially the largest grossing (and net) fundraiser to support operations that we have ever had in our community. I really am still in shock by it all.

The $25,000 matching grant did change the entire trajectory of the event. I am so grateful you were by my side to help us pivot and leverage that money for optimal success.”

Amy Dillion, President & CEO

Girls Inc., Shelbyville/Shelby County