A matching challenge matches every gift made on one form at a ratio you choose, using money a sponsor has already committed. To understand how matching works and what donors see, read About Matching Challenges.
This article shows you how to add a sponsor-funded match to a Bloomerang Fundraising donation form, and how to edit, pause, reopen, and delete a challenge after you create it.
Before You Begin
Subscription and Permissions
If your plan doesn’t include Matching Challenges, the Matching Challenges section will appear disabled, and an option to upgrade your plan appears. To add Matching Challenges to your subscription, select the upgrade option or contact your account manager. If you have questions, email [email protected].
Make sure you're an administrator with permission to change donation settings for the form.
Sponsor Preferences
For each matching challenge, we recommend that you settle these details with your sponsor before you start:
The public name to show donors, and whether the sponsor wants to stay anonymous.
The match ratio: 0.5:1, 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1.
The total amount the sponsor contributes, or whether the match is unlimited.
The dates and times the challenge runs.
Challenges on the same form can't overlap, so plan the dates for all of your sponsors together.
Create Matching Challenges
You create a matching challenge on one form. The challenge applies to gifts made on that form only, and it isn't copied when you clone the form.
To create a matching challenge:
Click Forms.
In the Standard Donations Forms section or Peer-to-Peer Fundraising section, click your form.
Click Donation Setup.
Click Matching Challenges.
Click Add New Matching Challenge.
In the Sponsor Name text box, enter the sponsor's public name. The name can be up to 255 characters.
(Optional) Select Keep sponsor anonymous on public pages. Donors then see a generic label instead of the sponsor's name.
In the Match Ratio drop-down list, select how much the sponsor is going to match for each gift:
0.5:1
1:1 (the most common and default option)
2:1
3:1
In Total Contribution, do one of the following:
To limit how much the sponsor gives across the whole challenge, enter an amount ($1.00 or more). This is the greatest amount the sponsor gives across the whole challenge. Matching stops when this limit is reached.
To run a challenge without a cap, keep the Unlimited setting, which is the default setting. This is a good option for a sponsor who wants to do a time-based opportunity, such as matching every gift on GivingTuesday.
In the Start Date box, select the date matching begins. The date must be the current date or a later date.
In the Start Time lists, select the hour, the minute, and AM or PM.
(Optional) To set an end date:
Select Set End Date.
Enter the End Date and End Time.
Important: An end date is optional only when this is the form's only challenge. If your form has more than one challenge, every challenge on that form must have an end date.
Click Add New Matching Challenge.
(Optional) To edit or disable the urgency message for your matching challenge, or to edit the matching challenge wording for one-time and recurring donations:
Click Form Builder.
In the section after the header, click Settings
. In the Matching Challenges section, edit the One Time Tab Heading and Recurring Tab Heading.
To edit the urgency message, click in the Urgency Message text box and enter new wording.
To remove the urgency message, clear the Display Matching Funds Urgency Message check box.
Click Save Page.
Click Exit Form Builder.
The challenge appears in the Scheduled list. If the start time has already arrived, matching begins right away. If the start time is later, the challenge waits and begins on its own. After the challenge ends, it appears in the Completed list.
Edit Matching Challenges
You can change a challenge's sponsor name, ratio, total contribution, and dates at any time, including while it is matching gifts.
Editing a challenge doesn't change gifts that were already matched. Matches stay on the donor records, receipts, and reports where they were recorded.
To edit a matching challenge:
Click Forms.
In the Standard Donations Forms section or Peer-to-Peer Fundraising section, click your form.
Click Donation Setup.
Click Matching Challenges.
Locate the challenge, then click Edit.
Change the settings you want to update.
Click Save Matching Challenge.
Pause and Resume a Matching Challenge
Pause a challenge when you want matching to stop for a while without losing the challenge and its settings. While a challenge is paused, gifts on the form aren't matched.
To pause or resume a matching challenge:
Click Forms.
In the Standard Donations Forms section or Peer-to-Peer Fundraising section, click your form.
In Donation Setup, click Matching Challenges.
Locate the challenge in the list.
To pause the matching challenge:
Next to the sponsor’s name, turn off the matching challenge.
Click Yes, Turn This Matching Challenge Off.
To resume matching, next to the sponsor’s name, turn on the matching challenge.
Reopen Completed Matching Challenges
A challenge moves to Completed on its own when its end date passes or when the sponsor's funds are used up. You can bring a completed challenge back.
To reopen a completed matching challenge:
Click Forms.
In the Standard Donations Forms section or Peer-to-Peer Fundraising section, click your form.
In Donation Setup, click Matching Challenges.
In the Completed list, locate the challenge, then click Edit.
Do one or both of the following:
Extend the end date.
Raise the total contribution above the funds the challenge already used.
Click Save Completed Matching Challenge.
Bloomerang Fundraising reopens the challenge as long as its dates don't overlap another active challenge on the form.
Delete Matching Challenges
Delete a challenge when you don't plan to use it again. Deleting stops future matching on that form.
Warning: You can't restore a deleted matching challenge. To stop matching temporarily instead, pause the challenge.
To delete a matching challenge:
Click Forms.
In the Standard Donations Forms section or Peer-to-Peer Fundraising section, click your form.
In Donation Setup, click Matching Challenges.
Locate the challenge, then click Delete.
Click Yes, Delete This Matching Challenge.
Gifts that the challenge already matched stay valid. The matches remain on donor records, receipts, and reports.
View a Matching Challenge Report and Manage Transactions
When you click to view a report from the Matching Challenges page in your form settings, the report automatically shows only transactions for all your matching challenges. In that report, you can click the original gift or match to view and manage those transactions.
To view a report that shows matching challenge matches and gifts:
Click Forms.
In the Standard Donations Forms section or Peer-to-Peer Fundraising section, click your form.
In Donation Setup, click Matching Challenges.
Go to the challenge and click Edit.
Click View Report. The Reporting page opens with the Matching Challenge filter and your specific matching challenge already selected.
You can use this report to quickly find and manage transactions for your matching challenges.
For more information, read Matching Gifts Report.
What Donors See
When the matching challenge is live, if a donor clicks to donate on your form, a matching challenge call-to-action appears. This call-to-action includes:
A countdown that tells the donor when the matching challenge ends, and to help create a sense of urgency.
How the match is calculated. For a 0.5:1 match, +$[amount] appears. For a 1:1 match, x2 appears. For a 2:1 match, x3 appears. For a 3:1 match, x4 appears.
Gift amount, which is the amount your donor chose to give
Impact amount, which is the total amount that includes the match
For peer-to-peer forms, if the donor clicks Choose Someone to support someone’s fundraising effort, the impact amount automatically reflects on the person's goal. ![Supporting [Name] section with a thermometer and goal percentage, and goal amount](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/bkj6k0nb/2616109441/a03f6618452fc3c2721da3766b63/fundraising_supporting_participant.png?expires=1787292000&signature=055836fe712630f9071e9a7fddd88a929ac1dd2e988f18c3bf6ac6a2dd438ae6&req=diYmEMh%2BlIVbWPMW3Hu4ge8d7dnxWthKDSXm2gvXP%2BJKEIzpFKHyKF8VGnWj%0AGQ%3D%3D%0A)
On the donation confirmation page, the gift amount appears, which is the amount the donor was charged. The impact amount also appears, which is the gift amount plus the matching challenge.
![Thank you message with this note: "[Sponsor] has increased your impact to $[amount]!"](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/bkj6k0nb/2614482785/bee6976ab401cf7feced27ee10e8/image9.png?expires=1787292000&signature=af4a082f4fec9e85dd8ddca87e967fb23aed6add1da91a6c6042d01cbfd88618&req=diYmEs12n4ZXXPMW3Hu4gUMMmbu4FbZvH0yRhsX4jJuUP4h9lek5CFDhXrau%0AfQ%3D%3D%0A)
The receipt shows the amount charged to the donor, and includes a note that says, [Sponsor] matched your gift with an extra [match amount]!.
Peer-to-Peer Campaigns
For peer-to-peer campaigns, the goal thermometer for your donation page automatically reflects the impact amount. The donation and match also appear on the Recent Activity list on your donation page.
The match also appears on the donor’s personal fundraising page, on both the My Supporters lists and the thermometer.
When the matching challenge is no longer live, either because the end date has passed or the total contribution was reached, the call-to-action no longer appears on your form.
Label Gifts as Matching Challenge Gifts in Your CRM
If you also use a CRM, and you export transactions to that CRM, the original donations in a matching gift challenge export to your CRM as usual.
The matches, which the sponsor contributed, appear only in Bloomerang Fundraising and don't export to your CRM. The match appears in the Export History Report marked Excluded, with a note that it was skipped as a matching challenge.
If you want to know which gifts in your CRM are associated with a matching challenge, you can add a custom mapping. This mapping labels the gifts as associated with a matching challenge.
To add a custom mapping for matching challenges:
In your CRM, set up a custom transaction field. For example, set up a text field named Matching Challenge Name.
In Bloomerang Fundraising, add a new mapping for the custom field you set up in your CRM.
Tip: For instructions about how to set up a custom mapping for Bloomerang CRM, read Bloomerang CRM.In your new mapping, select the following:
Mapping Type: Custom Mappings > Standard Field
Standard Field: Matching Challenge.
Bloomerang CRM Record: Transaction
Transaction Field: The name of the custom transaction field you created in Bloomerang CRM, such as Matching Challenge Name.
Click Add Mapping.
After you export transactions to your CRM, when you view a matching challenge transaction in your CRM exported from Bloomerang Fundraising, the custom field you added for matching challenges shows the name of that matching challenge.
Next Steps
After your challenge goes live, watch Funds Used and Funds Remaining on the Matching Challenges page to see how much of the sponsor's contribution donors have unlocked.
To take a matched gift over the phone or in person, use the Virtual Terminal. For instructions, read Donations Virtual Terminal.