Strengthening Alumni Ties: Strategies for Workplace Giving

Alumni relations are a cornerstone of any educational institution’s success, and nurturing these connections can significantly impact your organization’s long-term goals. One powerful and growing way to strengthen alumni ties is through workplace giving programs. These programs not only allow alumni to give back to their alma mater but also deepen their engagement and loyalty⁠—and rally their employers with them

In other words, by tapping into workplace giving, institutions can create a sustainable revenue stream while fostering a sense of community among alumni. In this blog post, we’ll explore effective strategies for leveraging workplace giving to enhance alumni relations and drive meaningful contributions.

These include the following practices:

1. Consider data appends to uncover employment insights.
2. Encourage donors to pursue matching gifts.
3. Incentivize volunteerism with corporate programming.
4. Pair workplace giving with other fundraising activities.

Ready to learn more about how your institution can better leverage workplace giving as an engagement strategy? Let’s begin!

1. Consider data appends to uncover employment insights.

When it comes to uncovering workplace giving opportunities within your network, having the right data is a must. Specifically, the most essential asset is going to be your supporters’ employment data. For example, do your alumni work for companies known for their generous workplace giving programs?

If you’ve been collecting employment information (e.g., on your donation form) for some time, you might know this already. However, don’t fret if you don’t have up-to-date insights⁠—because that’s where a data append can come in!

To complete a data append and fill in your donor information gaps, all you need to do is:

1. Select a data enhancement service provider 
2. Provide the appending company with the information you do have on your donors (e.g., names, engagement history, contact details).
3. The appends provider will conduct its research using comprehensive data sources to identify employment information that’s currently missing in your database.

In the end, you’ll receive new insights regarding your donor base, and you can use the information to identify and pursue workplace giving opportunities with ease.

2. Encourage donors to pursue matching gifts.

Once you know where your donors work, use the information to encourage eligible individuals to pursue matching gifts. For example, see if your alumni or other supporters work for companies that match gifts to colleges and universities like yours. If they do, you’ll want to let them know about the opportunity and encourage them to get involved.

This could mean:

• Sharing insights about matching gifts on your institution’s social media pages.
• Providing detailed information about matching gift programs on your website⁠—including with a dedicated Match Page.
• Including matching gifts in your upcoming alumni communications, such as email blasts, newsletters, and more.
• Personally following up with qualifying supporters after they make match-eligible donations.

The bottom line is that many match-eligible donors are never made aware of the programs through their employers, which is why tons of matching gifts end up slipping through the cracks. By taking a proactive and data-informed approach to encouraging matching gifts, your institution can raise more and engage your audience better than ever before.

3. Incentivize volunteerism with corporate programming.

Does your school rely on dedicated volunteers to power its day-to-day operations? If so, corporate volunteer programs can make a big impact on your efforts.

Like matching gifts, corporate volunteer programs work to incentivize employee engagement with charitable causes while boosting the company’s CSR. But instead of rewarding financial donations, corporate volunteerism celebrates employees giving of their time.

Corporate volunteer incentives, such as volunteer grants or volunteer time off, can be excellent motivators, driving supporter engagement by offering a way to increase impact or free up employees’ time to get involved.

4. Pair workplace giving with other fundraising activities.

For many institutions, fundraising is a community-centric activity that relies on alumni and other donor support to make an impact. By pairing workplace giving opportunities with your school’s other fundraising efforts, you can amplify the effect of each individual’s support to make a substantial difference overall.

Though it will differ based on your organization’s fundraising plan, this might include:

• Giving Days: Leverage the urgency and excitement of Giving Days by promoting matching gift opportunities. Encourage alumni to maximize their contributions by checking if their employer offers a matching gift program. Highlighting this option can double or even triple the impact of their donations, making these days even more successful.
• Peer-to-peer fundraising: Peer-to-peer campaigns thrive on personal connections and networks, making them an ideal pairing with workplace giving. Encourage fundraisers to ask their networks not only to donate but also to explore whether their employers offer matching gift options. This not only increases individual contributions but also expands your reach as more people engage with your campaign through their workplace.
• Special events (galas, auctions, etc.): Events like galas and auctions are prime opportunities to introduce or remind alumni about workplace giving. Incorporate messaging about matching gifts and payroll giving into event materials, speeches, and follow-up communications. By making it easy for attendees to take advantage of these programs, you can significantly boost the funds raised during these high-profile events.

Integrating workplace giving into these and other fundraising activities can create a seamless experience for alumni and donors, encouraging greater participation and maximizing the potential of each contribution. This holistic approach ensures that your institution benefits from a well-rounded and powerful fundraising strategy that leverages all available resources.

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All in all, strengthening alumni ties through workplace giving is a win-win strategy that benefits both the institution and its community. By implementing thoughtful strategies, institutions like yours can create a culture of giving that extends beyond graduation, reinforcing the bond between alumni and their alma mater.

As you develop and refine your workplace giving initiatives, remember that fostering genuine connections and making giving easy for alumni will yield lasting benefits for your institution. And powering your efforts with the right technology can go a long way. Good luck!

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Julia Beltran

Julia Beltran is the partnerships manager at Double the Donation, an organization that helps nonprofit organizations and schools increase fundraising from corporate employee matching gift and volunteer grant programs.