Business Engagement Opportunities

Interest in giving back to our community via the Giving Challenge has increased from businesses over the past few years. In response to this trend, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County is excited to announce the Giving Challenge is expanding its features in 2022 to include two clear, easy opportunities for businesses in our community to participate in meaningful ways.

Two Engagement Opportunities



Business Fundraiser:

  • Encourage employees to give (a.k.a. Employee Engagement Program)
  • Does not require financial donation from the business, but can also include an employee match/challenge



Donation Match/Challenge:

  • Support a specific nonprofit organization with a donation match/challenge
  • Requires financial donation from the business to a specific nonprofit organization

Overview Video & Slides

Click the button above to access a 17-minute Business Engagement Opportunities overview video and slides. In the video and slides, you'll learn the differences and benefits for each engagement opportunity as well as how to instructions for getting started for both. 

Download printable Business Engagement Opportunity flyer

Business Fundraiser (Employee Engagement Program):

For a business that wants to encourage their employees to give in the 2022 Giving Challenge. Business Fundraising on the 2022 Giving Challenge platform will provide an easy, fun and efficient way for an entire company to give together while helping local cause-driven nonprofit organizations.

→  Benefits & Opportunities:

  • A dedicated link to share with employees to get more information about the Giving Challenge and your businesses matching matching opportunities (if applicable)
  • A dedicated dashboard to track employee giving and any matching initiatives you have
  • Your business will be included on the business fundraiser leaderboard on the Giving Challenge website
  • Inspire employees to make a difference by connecting them to causes they are passionate about
  • Community visibility: your company name/logo on the Giving Challenge website
  • Business Fundraising toolkit, including templates for flyers/posters, social media and email communications


Suggested Timeline for Businesses

Nov 2021 – Feb 2022: *Register online as Business Fundraiser, set up profile
March – April 2022: Communicate opportunity to employees
April – May 2022: Celebrate & thank employees for their generosity



Learn More: Business Fundraiser Toolkit


Donation Match/Challenge for a Specific Nonprofit Organization:

For a business that wants to support a specific nonprofit organization. A business identifies a nonprofit organization it wants to support directly through a donation match or challenge that incentivizes donors to make a greater impact to that nonprofit with their 2022 Giving Challenge donation. Both match and challenge options are very customizable based on how a business wants to set them up.

→  Match: A 'sponsor match', or simply a 'match', is a pool of funds that a business donates to a specific nonprofit organization that raises a similar amount from other donors. This is intended to be used to amplify the amount raised by individual donors.

  • Example: ABC Corp. donated a $5,000 1 - to - 1 match to XYZ Nonprofit. XYZ Nonprofit will receive $1 from ABC Corp. for each $1 that is donated by supporters. XYZ Nonprofit can now promote this match from ABC Corp. as a chance for donors to double their impact: a $25 gift becomes a $50 gift, a $50 gift becomes $100, and so on. 

→  Challenge: A "challenge" is a gift that can be unlocked by meeting a goal. This goal can be measured by total dollars given or total donors engaged.

  • Example: ABC Corp. XYZ Nonprofit sets a $3,000 fundraising goal for their campaign. ABC Corp agrees to donate $1,000 dollars once the XYZ Nonprofit reaches their $3,000 goal. As soon as the XYZ Nonprofit reaches their goal, ABC Corp’s $1,000 donation will be "unlocked"--or released to the XYZ Nonprofit donation pool. This type of challenge is referred to as a "Dollar Challenge."

To set up a donation match and/or challenge for a specific nonprofit organization, contact the nonprofit organization you want to support. Once you and the nonprofit organization firm up the details of the match and/or challenge, the nonprofit organization will have the information and materials needed to set up that match and/or challenge into the Giving Challenge platform via their Giving Challenge Profile and admin dashboard.

Note your businesses donation match/challenge will be an offline donation (cash or check) made directly to the nonprofit organization. You will not enter the match/challenge donation through the online donation system yourself.

Suggested Timeline for Businesses

Nov 2021 – Jan 2022: Contact nonprofit organization to discuss match/challenge details
Jan – March 2022: Nonprofit organization sets up match/challenge in the Giving Challenge platform
March – April 2022: Share/promote match/challenge opportunity with your network