Giving Tuesday Matching Gifts: 5 Ways to Double Donations (2026 Guide)

Giving Tuesday 2026 falls on Tuesday, December 1, and matching gifts are one of the simplest ways to raise more from the donors you already have. A matching gift is a donation from a company, often triggered by an employee's own gift, that doubles or adds to what that employee gives. Many donors have an employer match available and never claim it.

This guide covers five ways to make the most of matching gifts this Giving Tuesday, plus a free email template you can send to your donors.

How matching gifts work on Giving Tuesday

There are two kinds of match to know about, and the five strategies below use both.

• Employer matching gifts. A donor gives to your organization, then submits a request to their employer, which matches some or all of the gift. The nonprofit receives the match later, after the employer verifies the gift.
• One-off matches. A company, foundation or major donor agrees to match all gifts to your organization during Giving Tuesday, up to a set total. Donors see their gift doubled right away.

Giving Tuesday is a good moment for both because donors are already paying attention. [Add one sourced statistic here, such as the amount raised on Giving Tuesday 2025 or the share of matching gift dollars that go unclaimed, with a link to the source and the year.]

5 ways to double donations with matching gifts

1. Start promoting matching gifts before Giving Tuesday

Donors can't claim a match they don't know about. Mention matching gifts in your newsletter, on your donation page, on social media and in your Giving Tuesday appeal starting in early November, so the idea is familiar by December 1. Use more than one channel, since not every donor sees every message.

2. Line up a one-off matching gift partner

Ask a local business, a foundation or a major donor to match gifts to your organization on Giving Tuesday, up to a stated amount. A one-off match gives donors a clear reason to give on the day, and it lets a company try a matching program without a long-term commitment. Make the ask early, in October if you can, so the partner has time to plan.

3. Collect employer information when donors give

You can only follow up on a match if you know where the donor works. Add an employer field to your donation form, or use a matching gift search tool that lets donors look up their company and see whether it offers a match. Keep the form short, and make the employer field easy to fill in. [Kindest works with Double the Donation for matching gift tools. Confirm the current integration details before publishing.]

4. Follow up with donors to complete their match

A donor who is eligible for a match still has to submit it. Send a short email within a day or two of their gift that says what they need to do and links to their employer's form or your matching gift tool. Giving Tuesday gifts come in fast, so plan this email ahead of time and schedule it.

5. Automate matching gift follow-up

Around Giving Tuesday, manual follow-up is hard to keep up with. Matching gift automation software can identify eligible donors from their employer information and send reminders for you, so more matches get completed. See our guide to matching gift automation for how it works. [Replace this link with the URL of the matching gift automation post.]

For more on reaching donors by email around matching gifts, see our email outreach tips for matching gifts.

Free Giving Tuesday matching gift email template

Copy this Giving Tuesday email, fill in the brackets, and send it to donors after they give. It follows the three steps a donor needs to claim a match.

Subject line: Double your Giving Tuesday impact with matching gifts

Hi [First name],

Thank you for your Giving Tuesday gift to [Organization]. Because of you, [one sentence on what the gift will do].

Here is something you may not know: your employer might match your gift, which would double its impact at no extra cost to you. Here is how to check:

1. Look up your company. Search for your employer here: [matching gift search link].
2. Submit the request. If your company offers a match, follow the instructions on the page or in your HR portal.
3. Let us know. Reply to this email if you have questions, and we will help.

Thank you again for making a difference.

[Name]
[Title, Organization]

Send this within a day or two of the gift, while the donor is still thinking about it. You can also send a second reminder a few weeks later to donors who have not yet submitted their match.

Giving Tuesday matching gifts FAQ

When is Giving Tuesday 2026?

Tuesday, December 1, 2026. It falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States.

What is a matching gift?

A gift from a company, foundation or individual that matches a donation, often one made by an employee. The match can double the amount the nonprofit receives.

Do donors have to do anything to get their gift matched?

Usually yes. With employer matching, the donor typically has to submit a request, and many companies set a deadline. A short follow-up email makes it much more likely they will.

Can a small nonprofit run a Giving Tuesday match?

Yes. A local business or a single major donor can provide a one-off match, and you can promote employer matching to every donor. Neither requires a large budget.

How far ahead should we plan?

Start promoting in early November and ask potential match partners in October, so there is time to confirm the match and tell donors about it.

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