6 Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Challenge Match Campaign

Challenge match campaigns can be incredibly effective in driving donations and increasing engagement for your school. The opportunity to have a donor’s contribution matched creates a sense of urgency, motivates donors to give more, and amplifies the impact of each donation. However, even the most promising challenge match can falter without proper planning and execution.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the most common mistakes that schools (and nonprofits!) make when running a challenge match campaign and provide actionable tips to help you avoid them. From failing to consider Donor-Advised Funds to not communicating match progress, we’ll show you how to set your campaign up for success and maximize the potential of your challenge match by overcoming these common mistakes:

• Mistake #1: Not Considering Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
• Mistake #2: Failing to Communicate the Match Campaign and Progress
• Mistake #3: Not Making It Easy for Other Donors to Participate
• Mistake #4: Overlooking Corporate Matching Gift Opportunities
• Mistake #5: Lack of Proper Tracking and Reporting

Challenge match campaigns present an excellent opportunity to engage your donor base and raise significant funds. However, without careful attention to detail and proper planning, your campaign may not reach its full potential. Let’s examine the most common mistakes organizations make when running challenge match campaigns and how your team can effectively navigate them.

Mistake #1: Not Considering Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are becoming an increasingly popular giving vehicle, allowing donors to contribute to charity while receiving immediate tax benefits. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths surrounding DAFs, and many schools overlook their power when planning a challenge match campaign. The result? Missing out on potentially significant contributions.

Here’s how your team can proactively address this mistake:

• Target DAF Holders in Your Outreach: Do some research and find out who in your school’s network holds a DAF account. These can be some of your highest-value supporters with a lot of charitable funds to share. Know who these people are, then take a personalized approach to reaching out. Ensure they understand that they can initiate a challenge match on your behalf to amplify their generosity even further.
• Make It Easy for DAF Donors to Get Involved: Ensure that DAF donors know how to activate their contributions to provide a challenge match for your organization. Providing clear instructions on how to recommend a grant from their DAF is essential to increasing campaign adoption. The easier it is to complete the steps and offer a challenge match, the more likely eligible donors will ultimately do so.

By considering DAFs and making it easy for these donors to participate in your campaign, you can significantly increase the impact of your challenge match offering. It’s a win-win!

Mistake #2: Failing to Communicate the Match Campaign and Progress

A critical mistake many institutions make during a challenge match campaign is failing to effectively communicate how the match works and the progress made toward meeting the goal. Without clear communication, donors may be less motivated to contribute, and the sense of urgency that challenge matches create can fade.

Here’s how you can avoid this:

• Clearly Explain the Match Terms: Ensure donors understand how the match works, including the percentage of their contribution that will be matched, the deadlines, and any applicable limits or restrictions. This information should be easily accessible on your campaign page and in your communication materials.
• Provide Regular Updates: Throughout the campaign, provide regular updates on the amount raised, the amount still needed, and your progress toward meeting the match goal. Progress bars, donation counters, and social media updates are great tools for keeping donors informed.
• Communicate the Impact: Remind donors of the impact their contributions will have, and let them know that every dollar counts toward meeting the challenge match goal. Regular communication helps keep donors engaged and encourages them to act.

By providing frequent and transparent updates, you ensure that your donors understand their role in the campaign and are motivated to make a contribution.

Mistake #3: Not Making It Easy for Other Donors to Participate

To run a successful challenge match campaign, it’s essential that donors can easily participate and have their contributions count toward the match. A common mistake is overcomplicating the process, which can discourage potential donors.

Here’s how to make it easy for all people to get involved:

• Simplify the Donation Process: Ensure your donation platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Donors should be able to make their contributions with minimal effort from any device or browser, whether that’s through an online form, a dedicated donation page, or a mobile-friendly app.
• Provide Easy Instructions: Whether you’re requesting direct donations or DAF contributions, ensure that the instructions are clear and straightforward. Provide step-by-step guidance on how donors can contribute and how to track their donations.
• Offer Multiple Giving Options: Some donors may prefer to contribute via check, while others may want to use credit cards, bank transfers, or digital wallets. Offering multiple giving options that can count toward your challenge match increases the likelihood that more people will make a qualifying donation.

When you make it easy for donors to participate in the challenge match campaign, you increase the likelihood of greater engagement and more successful fundraising.

Mistake #4: Overlooking Corporate Matching Gift Opportunities

Corporate matching gifts are an often-overlooked avenue for increasing contributions during a challenge match (or just about any fundraising initiative). Many donors may not be aware that their employers offer matching gift programs, and as a result, many schools and nonprofits fail to capitalize on these opportunities.

Here’s how you can address this:

• Educate Donors About Matching Gifts: Inform your donors about the possibility of their donations being matched by their employers. Include this information in your challenge match campaign materials, emails, and on your donation pages.
• Make It Easy to Check for Matching Gifts: Utilize tools like Double the Donation to help donors quickly verify if their company offers matching gifts. Providing a quick lookup tool on your donation page can help streamline the process and increase participation.
• Follow Up on Matching Gifts: After receiving a donation, follow up with donors to remind them to submit a matching gift request to their employer, thereby stretching their impact even further.

Corporate matches can double the impact of a donation, in addition to the existing challenge match campaign. Reminding donors to activate this feature can significantly increase the funds raised through your initiative.

Mistake #5: Lack of Proper Tracking and Reporting

Tracking donations and reporting on the progress of your challenge match campaign is crucial for maintaining donor engagement and transparency. Without proper tracking, it’s difficult to keep donors informed or acknowledge their contributions.

Here’s how to avoid this mistake:

• Track Donations in Real Time: Utilize your donor management system or CRM to monitor donations and track progress toward the goal. This allows you to provide real-time updates to your donors and demonstrate how close you are to meeting your goal.
• Update Donors Regularly: Keep your donors informed about the amount raised, the amount still needed, and when the match deadline is approaching. Use email, social media, and your campaign website to provide regular updates.
• Acknowledge Donations Promptly: Thank donors promptly, whether through automated emails or personal notes, as soon as they are received. Acknowledging donations promptly helps foster positive relationships and encourages donors to participate again in the future.

With proper tracking and reporting, you can keep your donors engaged and ensure your challenge match campaign runs smoothly. Not to mention, you can use the data you collect to determine wins and opportunities for improvement so that your school’s next challenge match goes even better.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Challenge match campaigns offer incredible opportunities to boost donations and engage your donors. However, to be successful, it’s essential to avoid common mistakes. By considering DAFs, communicating progress regularly, simplifying the donation process, and leveraging matching gift programs, you can set your campaign up for success.

Explore Employee Matching Gifts for Even More Fundraising Success

If you’re looking to amplify your fundraising efforts even further, consider incorporating employee matching gift programs into your strategy. Double the Donation’s tools can help you identify, track, and maximize matching gift opportunities. Request a demo today to discover how you can increase your challenge match funds and engage even more donors.