Double Your Donation-For Free-With Matching Gifts
By Jamie Davis

Thousands of people donate money to The CFIDS Association of America each year. Donors give what they can, when they can, to help us to reach our ultimate goal: conquering CFIDS.

But what if it you could double your donation at no extra cost? What if you could turn your $50 pledge into $100, or $100 into $200? What if you could convert $1,500 in Microsoft or other stock into a $3,000 investment in critical CFIDS research?

Matching gifts can make that happen.

The brainchild of former General Electric chairman Philip Reed, matching gift programs started as a way to encourage employees to support their alma maters. Today, 7,500 businesses and their employees contribute more than $2 billion each year to diverse non-profit organizations through their programs.

Most companies with a program will match an employee's gift dollar-for-dollar, although some will even match two dollars for every one donated by the employee. Programs usually have minimum and maximum gift eligibility requirements, generally $25 and $2000, respectively.

Although many people with CFIDS are no longer able to work, there are still ways to take advantage of the power of matching gifts. Ask your spouse, your family members and friends to participate in their companies' matching gift programs. Remind people about matching gifts at your next support group or church group meeting. Anyone who makes a contribution to the Association can have it doubled (or tripled) if they work for a company that sponsors a matching gift program.

Most gift-matching plans follow a similar procedure. Human resource offices typically manage the plan and provide matching gift forms to employees. The donor/employee then sends the form, along with their personal contribution, to The CFIDS Association of America. The Association certifies that the gift has been received and returns the form to the employer. The company then verifies the eligibility of the employee and sends a matching check to the Association. The Association's development office is prepared to handle the process, with little effort on the part of the donor/employee.

To find out if a business participates in a matching gift program, ask the company's human resources office. It is possible that smaller companies that do not have a formalized program will participate if asked. Or contact the Association's development office at 704-364-0466 or development@cfids.org. We have details on thousands of companies with matching gift programs.

Matching gifts matter. Consider their power as you make your next charitable contribution to The CFIDS Association of America.

Jamie Davis is director of development for The CFIDS Association of America.