# Match funding encourages higher & more frequent giving, says report

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/08/15/match-funding-encourages-higher-frequent-giving-says-report/
- Published: 2016-08-15T08:47:27+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Match funding stimulates higher and more frequent giving, according to a report
from [Localgiving](https://localgiving.org/) into how financial incentives encourage
donations.**

[_Striking a Match: Incentivised Giving Report 2016_](https://localgiving.org/what-we-do/reports/incentivised-giving-2016)
reveals the key results and learnings from a number of match fund campaigns run 
by Localgiving throughout 2015 as part of its [Incentivised Giving Programme](https://localgiving.org/what-we-do/programmes/incentivised-giving),
which in 2015 raised £834,224 for 1,288 groups from 16,561 donors.

Localgiving ran six match fund campaigns featuring a range of different incentives
to encourage donations. These included 1:1 match funding, ‘randomised’ match funding(
in which donations had a chance of being matched) and fundraiser competitions.

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The findings show that different incentives – ranging from match funding to competition
prizes – can be used to engage supporters in charitable causes, as well as stimulate
higher, more frequent donations.

Using donation data and donor feedback, _Striking a Match: Incentivised Giving Report
2016_ looks at the impact of each campaign on the overall amount raised; charity
and donor participation rates; donation size and frequency; donor sentiment and 
retention.

Key findings:

 * The vast majority of donor survey respondents see campaign incentives as a crucial
   factor in their decision to donate. In the February 2015 #GiveMe5 survey 83.4%
   of respondents said that match funding had influenced their decision “a lot” 
   or was the “only reason” that they had donated.

 * Donor surveys show a clear, positive correlation between the likelihood of a 
   donation being matched and the amount donors are willing to donate.

 * Deterministic match funds (in which donations are guaranteed to be matched) see
   the highest participation levels, but require substantial initial investment 
   in terms of match funding.

 * Competitions increase the average donation size and provide the best leverage
   for campaign funders, but show lower participation rates amongst charities.

Stephen Mallinson, chief executive of Localgiving said:

“In recent years Localgiving has been exploring incentivisation as a way to engage
people with their local charities and community groups. This report compares and
contrasts the six Incentivised Giving Campaigns we ran in 2015 – not only proving
conclusively that match funding works as a concept, but also showing how different
incentives can be used to achieve different outcomes.”

The findings will be used to inform Localgiving’s future initiatives.

 * **[End of month deadline for UK Aid Match](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/01/20/end-month-deadline-uk-aid-match/)**(
   20 January 2017)
 * **[PHMG aims to raise £100,000 for charity in 2017](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/02/01/phmg-aims-raise-100000-charity-2017/)**(
   1 February 2017)
 * **[Lloyds Banking Group commits to raise £22 million for its charity partners](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/03/02/lloyds-banking-group-commits-to-raise-22m-for-its-charity-partners/)**(
   2 March 2017)

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