Generosity is contagious.
When one person gives, others often follow. People like to give when they see that others have affirmed (with their wallets) that a certain cause is a worthy one.
I saw this when an anonymous donor fronted a large sum of money for my month-long fundraising campaign. This donor offered to match, dollar-for-dollar, every donation given during the campaign, up to a certain sum.
I shared this good news with current supporters and potential new partners. And they shocked me with their immediate, generous support. By month’s end, their gifts had tripled my anonymous benefactor’s gift. Now that’s what I call catching the wave of generosity.
It took a lot of time and work on my end. I mailed hundreds of appeal letters and shared about the giving opportunity over a series of emails sent throughout the month.
But the real strength of that campaign was the generosity of one person who thought my ministry was worth it and wanted to help motivate others to give.
Is your worker in need of a financial boost?
Here are some ways you can help a worker start a matching gift campaign:
- Offer to give a sum of money (minimum of $1000) for a match. Once gifts from other supporters reach that match amount, send your gift to your worker’s account.
- If your giving capacity is low, ask other supportive people you know if they would be willing to offer a match amount.
- Consider collaborating with a group of people to pool your resources to create a large match sum.