Employer Matching Gifts: Double Your Donation to Indian Students

What if every rupee or dollar you gave to a student's education could be doubled – without you spending a single extra rupee? For many professionals, especially those working in multinational companies, that is already possible. It is called an employer matching gift, and it is one of the most under-used ways to increase your impact.

What is an employer matching gift?

Many companies run programmes where they match the donations their employees make to eligible charities. If you give $500, your employer may give another $500 to the same cause. Some companies match at a higher ratio, and many also match volunteering hours.

Matching gift programmes are especially common among US-based companies, but many global and Indian employers now run them too, often through giving platforms used by HR or CSR teams.

Why it matters for students in India

On Kind Circle, a single scholarship can decide whether a student finishes a degree or drops out. When your employer matches your gift:

• One scholarship can become two
• A one-year scholarship can stretch into a second year
• A partial fee payment can become full support

How to check if your employer matches donations

1. Ask HR or your CSR team. A short email asking "Do we have a matching gift programme?" is often enough.
2. Look at your company's giving portal. Many companies use an online platform where employees log donations and request matches.
3. Check the rules. Note the match ratio, the yearly cap per employee, which charities qualify, and the deadline for submitting requests.

Which route to use for a matched gift

Most matching programmes only match gifts to charities registered in certain countries. Here is how this usually works with Kind Circle:

If you are in the United States

US matching programmes usually require the charity to be a US 501(c)(3). You can give through Pragati Foundation USA, a 501(c)(3) that partners with Kind Circle through the Kind Circle of HOPE. You receive a US tax receipt, and your employer may be able to match your gift. Read more in our guide for US donors.

If you work in India

Some Indian employers match employee donations to registered Indian non-profits. Buddy4Study India Foundation is registered under Sections 12A and 80G of the Income Tax Act, which many programmes require. Your company can also set up an Employee Kind Circle, where the company matches what colleagues give together.

Elsewhere

Rules vary by country and employer. Write to us with your employer's requirements, and we will check what is possible.

Step-by-step: getting your gift matched

1. Choose a circle or student to support on Kind Circle.
2. Give through the route your employer's programme accepts.
3. Keep your donation receipt.
4. Submit a match request through your company's portal or HR team, before the deadline.
5. If your employer needs to verify the charity, put them in touch with us at kind@buddy4study.com.

Bring your colleagues along

Matching gifts work even better when a whole team gives together. Share the cause in your team channel, set a group goal, and ask a senior leader to start things off. Many workplaces find that one person's gift inspires many more.

If your company would like a structured programme, an Employee Kind Circle gives colleagues a shared scholarship fund, regular updates and a clear way to see the students they support. The EY GDS Employee Kind Circle is one example.

What your matched gift can do

Here is how a matched gift can play out on Kind Circle, using real scholarship amounts from our circles:

• A gift that covers one girl's school year through the Aadya Scholarship becomes support for two girls.
• A contribution towards an IIT student's fees through the R.M.V. Raman Scholarship can cover a much larger share of the year's costs.
• A monthly gift, matched every month, can fund an entire scholarship over the year.

Matching gifts often go unclaimed simply because employees do not know about them. A five-minute check could make a real difference to a student this year. See how much it costs to sponsor a student to plan your gift.

Frequently asked questions

Does a matched gift go to the same student?
Usually it goes to the same charity. We direct it to the same circle wherever the programme allows.

Will I get a receipt for the matched amount?
Receipts for matched gifts are normally issued to the company that made the match, not to the employee.

Is there a deadline?
Most programmes have one, often the end of the calendar year or the following quarter. Check your company's rules.

Double your kindness

A matching gift is free money for education that too often goes unclaimed. Take five minutes to check your company's programme – it could mean a second student gets to stay in college this year. Questions? Write to kind@buddy4study.com.