Your employer may give alongside you.
For years, the most common thing supporters told us after making a gift was some version of the same sentence:
"I think my company does something like this, but I have no idea how to find out."
Now you can find out in about five minutes, on our own website, without calling anyone. Three new pages let you search your employer by name and see exactly what your company offers, what the limits and deadlines are, and where to submit the request.
Matching Gifts
Thousands of companies match the charitable gifts their employees make, often dollar for dollar. The money comes from the company, on top of what you already gave, at no additional cost to you.
- Make your gift to IEP, and keep the receipt we email you. Most employers ask for it.
- Go to i-ep.org/matching-gifts and start typing your employer's name.
- The search shows your company's guidelines, minimum and maximum amounts, deadlines, and a direct link to its submission form. Parent companies, subsidiaries, and many retirement plans are included.
- Complete your company's form. It will ask for our legal name, EIN, and address, all ready to copy on the page.
- Tell us you submitted it, using the short form at the bottom of that page.
Why that last step matters more than it looks
Employer matches often arrive months later, as a corporate check with no reference to you on it. When you tell us, we can confirm your gift with your employer faster, credit the match to you properly, and chase it if it stalls.Worth knowing
Deadlines vary and some are tight. Many employers require the request within 90 days to a year of the gift, and a few close the window at the end of the calendar year. A large number of programs also extend to retirees, and some cover spouses. It is worth checking even if you no longer work there.Payroll Giving
A set amount comes out of each paycheck automatically and your employer forwards it to us. You set it up once.
- Go to i-ep.org/payroll-giving and search your employer, or ask your HR, payroll, or community giving team.
- Enroll and search for International Esperanza Project by name or by EIN 81-5106545.
- Set your per-paycheck amount and confirm.
- Tell us you enrolled, using the short form on that page.
Two things to do while you are enrolling
Tick the box that shares your details. Most platforms offer an option along the lines of "share my name and contact information with this nonprofit." Selecting it is what lets us thank you and send you a proper year end summary.Send us a two line note. Workplace platforms often send us one combined payment covering many donors, with many listed only as anonymous. Without a note from you, we receive the gift but have no way to know it came from you.
The honest tradeoff
Payroll giving is automatic, nothing lapses when a card expires, and it is frequently eligible for an employer match. It also has real downsides: funds are usually pooled and sent on the platform's schedule, so your first gift can take weeks or months to reach us, and platforms generally deduct a processing fee before disbursing.A monthly gift made directly through us reaches programs faster, keeps you fully identified, and comes with your annual tax receipt straight from us. It does not carry an employer match unless you separately request one.
Choose payroll giving if your employer matches payroll gifts. The match almost always outweighs the fee and the delay. If your employer does not match, or does not run a payroll program at all, give monthly through us directly and request a match afterward.
One point of fact, because it is asked often
In the United States, charitable payroll deductions come out of your pay after taxes. Your gift is still deductible in the ordinary way if you itemize. Rules differ outside the United States. We are not able to give tax advice, so please confirm your own situation with your tax adviser.Volunteer Grants
Many employers pay a cash grant to the nonprofits where their staff volunteer. Some call it "Dollars for Doers" or "matching time." You give hours, your company gives money.
- Go to i-ep.org/volunteer-grants and search your employer.
- Tell us your hours first, using the form on that page. This step is not optional politeness. Your employer will ask us to confirm how many hours you served, and sending them a total we cannot verify is the single most common reason these requests stall.
- Complete your company's form using the organization details on the page.
- Your employer verifies with us and sends the grant directly.
Hours that often qualify
- Serving on a surgical or medical mission team in Guatemala
- Construction, water filter, and cookstove installation work
- Teaching, tutoring, or trade training support
- Packing and preparing supplies for a team
- Volunteering at the Esperanza Gala or another IEP event
- Pro bono professional services given to IEP
Some employers will pay you to go.
Volunteer Time Off is paid leave set aside specifically for volunteering. It is a normal benefit at a growing number of companies, and most employees who have it do not know they have it.
This matters more at IEP than at most organizations. A mission team to Guatemala runs about a week. For most working volunteers, the thing standing in the way of going is not money, it is vacation days. If your employer offers VTO, that obstacle disappears.
Check your HR portal for "Volunteer Time Off," "VTO," or "paid volunteer days," and ask whether an international service trip qualifies. Many policies cover it. Some require the organization to be a registered 501(c)(3), which we are.
Organization Details
Every HR portal, giving platform, and verification form wants the same handful of details. Each of the three pages has a button that copies all of it in one click, so you do not have to retype anything. Searching by EIN is usually the most reliable method, because several organizations use similar names.
My company is not in the search results.
The search tool did not load at all.
Does a matching gift change my tax deduction?
Are monthly and recurring gifts eligible for a match?
Can I request a volunteer grant and a matching gift?
My employer wants proof of my donation.
I bought a Gala ticket. Can that be matched?
How much of this actually reaches programs?
That last number is the one that made us build these pages. The money is sitting there. Most people simply never find out it applies to them.
Workplace giving is new. Everything else is still where it was, all of it on one page.
Five minutes, and your company gives too.
Many companies offer more than one of these programs. You are allowed to use more than one. If you have given money, ask for a match. If you have given time, ask for a grant. If you would rather give a little every payday, start there.
Questions about any of this: donor@i-ep.org or +1 (972) 348-0172. For wire transfers and banking details, finance@i-ep.org.
International Esperanza Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. EIN 81-5106545.
