Give today
Employer matching
Asking an employer to match an eligible gift through the employer's own program.
Understand the route
How this gift works
An employer match is a separate contribution made under your employer’s program after an eligible employee gift. Making your own gift does not automatically create a match. The program may require an application, a receipt and verification from the organization. Eligible recipients, gift types, amounts and deadlines are program-specific.
Background: American Red Cross: employer-match process example
Who does what
- You make an eligible gift and request the match.
- The organization supplies or verifies the required information.
- The employer or program administrator reviews and pays an approved match.
These guides describe giving in the U.S. The receiving organization’s policies and your provider’s current instructions set the actual process.
Who this may fit
Employees of companies with a matching gift program.
Before you begin
Gather these details before starting the process. You do not need to have every answer before talking with the organization.
Check off the details you have ready. This checklist stays here while this page is open.
0 of 4 details ready
The route at a glance
- Make your gift through the organization's approved channel.
- Submit the employer's matching form with the organization's details.
- Keep confirmations from both the organization and the employer.
From intention to confirmation
The process, step by step
Step 1 of 5
Check the program first
Use your employer’s official benefits or giving portal. Check employee status, recipient eligibility, minimums, caps, gift types and deadline before assuming your gift qualifies.
Make and record your own gift
Use the organization’s approved channel. Keep the receipt with the date and amount; make sure any restricted-purpose or tribute instructions are clear.
Submit the match request
Enter the verified recipient details and attach the documentation requested by the program. Do not use Hope Opens as the gift recipient or employer portal.
Coordinate verification
If the program needs the nonprofit to respond, tell authorized staff about the request and provide its reference through the organization’s contact process.
Track payment separately
Monitor approval and payment status. Ask the organization to confirm the employer’s contribution arrived, rather than considering an approved request the same as a received match.
These steps keep your place in the guide. Confirm progress with the organization and provider.
Make the next conversation easier.
Choose who you are speaking with. Copy these questions into your own message, or bring them to a call.
Nothing is sent from this page. Review the wording before sharing. Use the organization’s secure process for private documents.
Browse every question by contact
Ask the organization
- What details does my employer's form need?
- Will you confirm the match request?
Ask the provider
- Which gifts and organizations are eligible?
- What is the deadline?
Ask your advisor
- Not usually needed for a matching request.
Confirm it. Keep the records.
Confirm both your own gift and the employer’s payment separately. A submitted or approved matching request does not mean the organization has received the match.
- Receipt for your own contribution.
- The matching request and reference number.
- Program approval and recipient confirmation of the separate employer payment.
Important distinctions
- A match ratio or annual cap varies by employer. No matching amount is promised here.
- Your personal gift and the employer’s payment are separate records. Ask your preparer how to handle your own contribution.
Check the applicable rules: American Red Cross: employer-match process example
A few more useful answers
Can retired employees or spouses participate?
Only if the program allows it. Check the current eligibility rules rather than relying on another employer’s policy.
Why has the match not arrived?
The program may still need recipient verification or may pay on a later schedule. Check the administrator’s status and deadline before submitting a duplicate request.
Read the sources
Sources checked October 9, 2026. IRS references describe U.S. rules. Named organizations and providers are examples of their own processes; each organization sets its own policy.
Before acting, confirm current instructions with the recipient and relevant provider. Discuss personal tax, legal and financial questions with your own advisor.