The Mountaineers
4/27/20
VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING UPDATE:
Thank you to everyone who continues to submit for matched volunteer hours. Every bit helps The Mountaineers! As we shift our programs online, don’t forget that virtual committee meetings, planning future courses, preparing online curriculum, hosting virtual events, and more can be submitted for matching hours with your employer. You can reach out to development@mountaineers.org with questions or further inquiries.
Leverage the impact of your volunteer commitment by submitting for a match today!
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Employer matching is making a notable difference with charities across the nation, contributing almost $5 billion to U.S. nonprofits each year. Even with such high participation levels, billions of dollars are left on the table annually.
Mountaineers donors and volunteers are joining the movement in a big way by taking advantage of their employer benefits. In 2017, we blogged about matching gift basics and since that post 167 members raised over $278,000 in additional funds through payroll deductions, matching cash contributions, membership dues, and matching volunteer hours. Some of our donors and volunteers have shared what they love about how they are making an impact through their matching gift benefits:
Workplace matching gifts are so important because it's basically free money for you to give to organizations that are important to us, like The Mountaineers. With just a few clicks of a mouse I can double the impact I can make on an organization. What's not to love about that? ”
- Laura Winger, 7-year member
As a 501(c)3 organization, The Mountaineers relies on both philanthropic support and the dedication of our volunteers to lead innovation in youth and adult outdoor education, serve at the forefront of conservation and advocacy, provide scholarships so that all people have the opportunity to get outside, and much more.
It is a really powerful and amazing feeling when you look at the physical impact you've had as a volunteer and you know that even when you leave, that impact will be extended by a volunteer match. If I volunteer to instruct with a dollar match, I get to dream that in addition to teaching, I also get to pay for a student scholarship to take the course. That feeling of double value for your time, for work you really believe in, is just incredible.”
- Kat Hackett, 1-year member
Many companies will match donations 1 to 1, doubling an employee’s donation. Some businesses, like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have match ratios as high as 3 to 1, tripling an employee’s contribution! Organizations like Microsoft not only match dollar for dollar, but also provide grants to nonprofits donating $25 per volunteer hour. Other companies like Boeing will offer team volunteer grants to recognize groups of employees, scaling the gift by the number of employees who volunteer together.
I decided to start volunteering in 2018, primarily as a hike leader, which I still do, though I also wanted to find opportunities that would clearly satisfy volunteer hour matching. This led me to helping out in various other ways knowing that I can provide some extra hands while also benefiting the work that The Mountaineers does outside of what I'm directly involved with. Most of all, I've enjoyed meeting and learning from the other volunteers and participants. Overall, I've found that volunteer hour matching has given me that little extra push to get more involved and I'm glad it did.”
- Josh Stein, 4-year member
Donations of time and dollars have had a huge impact on Mountaineers programs in 2019! Just look at what our community has helped us achieve:
- Supported training and volunteer recognition for our 400+ Super Volunteers and Key Leaders.
- Provided dozens of volunteer leadership development opportunities across all branches.
- Funded 74% of our conservation advocacy programs, including Outdoor Advocates Network.
- Empowered 15,000 hours of outside experiences for our Mountain Workshop programs.
- Awarded 189 adults with scholarships to participate in courses and clinics.
- Gave 85 youth the chance to enroll in clubs and camps through scholarships.
We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our corporate partners who have supported our outdoor community with matching gift benefits in 2019:
- 3M
- Adobe Systems
- Airbnb
- Alaska Airlines
- Ameriprise Financial
- Andeavor
- Apple
- ADP
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- The Boeing Company
- BP Foundation
- Bright Funds Foundation
- Chubb Charitable Foundation
- Ebay Foundation
- Expedia
- F5 Networks
- Goldman, Sachs & Co.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- HSBC
- JM Smith
- Microsoft
- Nordstrom
- Puget Sound Energy
- RealNetworks
- Salesforce
- Starbucks
- Symetra Gives
- Tableau Software
- T-Mobile
- Weyerhaeuser
DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT
Many organizations sponsor workplace giving programs to support their employees’ charitable donations and volunteer commitment to the community. If you do not see your company on our list of supporters, or have any questions about your employer’s participation, please reach out to your HR department. If you have further questions about matching gifts or would like to serve as a Workplace Ambassador for your company’s matching gift program, we’d love to hear from you at development@mountaineers.org.
