Recurring gifts and applying a MG Pledge and payment

Beth Unruh-Arnold

I have a recurring gift and every month we receive a gift for $10.00 and the person works for a matching gift company but we do not set up a matching gift every time.

At the end of the year the donor submits a request to there employer to match the total of there yearly giving $120.

I was wondering how others handle matching gifts for recurring gifts

Are they setting up a matching gift for every gift and at the end of the year are they applying the $120 match to all 12 matching gifts

Or

Are they just adding a matching gift to the December payment setting the amount to $120 and applying the match payment to this MG pledge

Julie VanErsvelde

@Beth UnruhArnold I do not add the matches at the time of the payment but do go back and add 12 matching pledges when the gift comes in and then link the payment to all 12 matching gifts. I have thought about adding the MG Pledges at the time of each gift but don't just in case the donor stops working for the matching gift company.

Dariel Dixon

@Beth UnruhArnold I think it varies. Of the two options, the last one is significantly easier and less labor intensive. If the MG is getting put on the gift automatically, then that is fine. However, like @Julie VanErsvelde mentioned, it's good to have a plan for if the donor moves to another employer and you have gift matches unfulfilled.

Miki Martin

@Beth UnruhArnold I have a few recurring gifts set up now that come in as direct deposits. I have set them up differently based on experience. One donor I have the matching gift to automatically add since I know the match comes in the following months. Another donor, however, I do not have the match to be automatic because their company has a limit to their amount so only some of them are matched. I do credit each gift that is matched. In my experience, though, the company matches each gift separately; they do not do a yearly match for all.

For consistency and thoroughness, I do like to credit each gift with the appropriate match. It could be a little more time consuming but is going to better match the donor's and matching company's records. If the donor does end up leaving the company, it is an easy fix to unmark the box that the company matches gifts and might require one or two adjustments to gifts if they're not being matched.

Beth Unruh-Arnold

@Beth UnruhArnold
Thank you