Sometimes a constituent makes a donation, and that donation is matched by another entity such as an employer. When this happens, you create two transactions: a donation on the original donor's account and a pledge on the matching entity's account. When your organization receives the matching gift, enter it as a pledge payment.
Create the Donation
First, create a donation on the donor's account.
To create a donation:
Go to the donor's account.
Create a new donation. For instructions, read Create or Edit One-Time Donations.
Indicate that this gift will be matched. For example, your organization might use an appeal or transaction custom field to track matching gifts.
To add more details about the match, enter a Note. For example, you might enter the employer's name and match amount.
Click Save.
Enter a Pledge for the Matching Gift
Next, enter a pledge for the matching gift.
To enter a pledge:
Go to the constituent who is matching the original donation. For example, if the donor's employer is matching the gift, open the employer's constituent account.
Create a new pledge. For instructions, read Create or Edit Pledges.
Indicate that this pledge is a match. For example, your organization might use an appeal or transaction custom field to track matching gifts.
In the Soft Credits section:
Click the + icon.
Search for and select the original donor whose gift is being matched.
Enter the donation Amount.
Click Add.
Click the Schedule tab and enter these settings:
First Installment Date
Frequency — Custom
First Installment Amount — Full amount of the pledge
Number of Installments — 1
Click Generate Installments.
Click Save.
When your organization receives the matching gift, enter it as a pledge payment.
Report on Matching Gifts
To see all of your matching gifts, add filters and columns to a transaction report.
To add filters:
In the Include section, click Add Filter.
Search for and select Type. Select Pledge and click OK.
Click And...
Search for and select Appeal. Select Matching Gift and click OK.
Next, add columns:
Click Add Column.
Search for and select Soft Credit Name(s) and click Add 1 column.
Click Add Column.
Search for and select Pledges and Pledge Payments, then Amount Paid. Click Add 1 column.
Note: The default column Amount shows the amount of the Pledge, while the Amount Paid will total pledge payments made toward this pledge.
Drag and drop the columns into an order that best suits your needs.
Matching Challenges
Matching challenges are ongoing efforts where a donor, foundation, or organization agrees to match contributions with a goal dollar amount, often during a specific period of time. Use a custom field to keep track of matching challenges.
First, establish with the matcher what types of gifts qualify and/or the time frame for the challenge. For example, the matcher may only match the full amount of a pledge (versus matching each individual pledge payment) and only if the pledge is fulfilled within a certain amount of time. You can add this information in the Note field of the first gift or pledge.
Next, follow these steps:
Create a custom field on transactions and name it "Matching Challenges."
Select Text for What kind of data goes in this field? and Pick 1 Value From a List for How do you enter data in this field?
Click Save.
Add values in this format: year + challenge identifier. For example, 2021 Smith Challenge Gift, 2021 Smith Family Foundation Challenge Grant, or 2021 Smith & Co. Matching Challenge.
Click Save.
As qualifying gifts are entered for the challenge, select the appropriate value for the match on your Matching Challenges transaction custom field.
You can filter for your custom field in a transaction report to see all of the qualifying gifts and the total amount for a specific matching challenge.
In the Include section, click Add Filter.
Search for and select Type.
Select Matching Challenges and select the specific challenge.
Click OK.