Turn One Donation Into Two: SAPA’s Matching Gift Guide

If you’ve ever donated to a cause you love and then gone on with your day, here’s a question worth pausing on: did you know your employer might quietly double what you gave, for free, with zero extra cost to you?

That’s the whole idea behind a corporate matching gift, and it’s one of the most overlooked ways to stretch every dollar you give to SAPA. For families in Sudan waiting on a mobile clinic, a clean well, or emergency food, a matched gift isn’t a marketing gimmick. It’s twice the medicine, twice the water, twice the meals. This guide walks through exactly how matching works, why it matters right now, and how to make sure your next gift to SAPA doesn’t stop at one.

What Is a Matching Gift, and Why Should You Care?

A matching gift is simply a company agreeing to donate the same amount (sometimes more) that an employee gives to a nonprofit. You give $100 to SAPA, your employer matches it, and SAPA receives $200.

Here’s the part that surprises most donors: this isn’t a niche perk. According to Double the Donation’s nonprofit fundraising research, updated for September 2026, more than 26 million people work for companies with a matching gift program, and over half of the largest publicly traded U.S. companies now report offering one. Donors respond to it, too. The same research found that 84% of people say they’re more likely to give if they know their gift could be matched, and roughly one in three would give a bigger gift outright if they knew it would be doubled.

And yet, billions in matching funds go unused every year, mostly because donors never ask. That gap is exactly where your next donation to SAPA can make an outsized difference.

Why Matching Gifts Matter So Much for Sudan Right Now

SAPA doesn’t work in the abstract. Every dollar funds mobile clinics, emergency surgeries, hunger relief, and safe water in a country facing what the UN has repeatedly called the world’s largest displacement crisis. According to SAPA’s own reporting on the water crisis in Sudan, the 2026 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan called for roughly $2.9 billion, yet only about 22% of that had been raised by mid-year, leaving a massive gap between what’s needed and what’s arriving.

Meanwhile, displacement remains staggering. Sudan Tribune reported that, per the International Organization for Migration, Sudan’s internally displaced population still stood at roughly 8.8 million people even as returns increased, most of them without reliable access to clean water, food, or a functioning health facility. That’s the daily reality behind SAPA’s work, whether it’s saving lives in Sudan through emergency medical response or expanding access to clean water in communities where contaminated water has repeatedly triggered cholera outbreaks.

How Employer Gift Matching Actually Works

The process is usually simple, although the exact requirements and submission process vary from one employer to another. SAPA’s donation matching tool lets you search for your own company and see whether it offers a matching gift program.

To show you what the process looks like, we’re using Google as an example below. If you don’t work for Google, don’t worry; the same basic process applies. Simply search for your own employer on SAPA’s matching gift page and follow the instructions provided for your company.

Step 1: Make Your Donation to SAPA

Give to SAPA the way you normally would, and hold onto your donation receipt or confirmation email. You’ll need it later.

Step 2: Visit SAPA’s Donation Matching Page

Head to sapa-usa.org/donation-matching, where you’ll find a short explainer and a search tool to look up your employer.

Step 3: Search for Your Employer/Company

Enter your company’s name in the matching gift search tool. For this example, we’re using Google to demonstrate what you may see.

If your employer offers a matching gift program, select the correct company from the search results.

Step 4: Review the Matching Donation Guidelines

Once you select Google, the tool displays the exact guidelines your donation needs to meet to qualify:

Step 5: Check Employee Eligibility

Right below the donation guidelines, you’ll see who’s eligible to have their gift matched:

Step 6: Click “Go to Matching Gift Form” and Submit Through Benevity

If you’ve already made your donation, click the “Go to Matching Gift Form” button on the results page. This takes you to Google’s submission platform at google.benevity.org/user/login, where you log in with your Google credentials and submit your request. 

Inside Benevity, search for “Sudanese American Physicians Association” (or SAPA’s EIN, 83-3464851), enter your donation amount and date, and attach your receipt if prompted.

Step 8: Confirm and Track Your Match

You’ll usually get an email confirmation once it’s approved, and you can log back into Benevity anytime to check the status. If anything looks off on SAPA’s end, you’re always welcome to reach out to donorcare@sapa-usa.org 

That’s it! No complicated paperwork, just a few clicks that could turn your gift into double the support for families in Sudan. Work somewhere other than Google? The flow is nearly identical. Swap in your own company name at Step 3 and follow whatever portal or form your employer provides.

FAQs

1. What exactly is a corporate matching gift? 

It’s when a company agrees to donate an amount equal to (or a multiple of) what an employee gives to a nonprofit like SAPA, effectively doubling or tripling the original donation at no extra cost to the donor.

2. Does it cost me anything extra to get my gift matched? 

No. Matching gifts come entirely from the employer’s philanthropic budget. Your only “cost” is a few minutes filling out a form.

3. How do I find out if my employer offers a matching gift program? 

Check your company’s HR or benefits portal, ask your HR representative directly, or use SAPA’s donation matching lookup tool to search your employer by name.

4. Is there a minimum or maximum donation amount that qualifies? 

It varies by employer. Some companies match gifts as small as $25, while others set annual maximums per employee, often ranging from a few thousand to $10,000 or more.

5. How long do I have to submit a matching gift request? 

Deadlines differ by company, typically ranging from 60 days to a full year after your donation date, so it’s best to submit the request soon after you give.

6. Can retirees or part-time employees get their gifts matched? 

Many programs extend matching benefits to retirees and part-time staff, though eligibility rules vary, so it’s worth checking your specific employer’s policy.

7. What information does SAPA need to process a matched gift? 

Typically just your donation receipt or confirmation, your employer’s matching gift form (if required), and your basic donor details already on file with your donation.

8. Do matching gifts count as a tax deduction for me? 

Your original donation is generally tax-deductible for you as usual; the employer’s matched portion is deducted separately by the company, since it’s their own charitable contribution.

9. Can I get a gift matched if I donate to a specific SAPA campaign, like clean water or emergency relief in Sudan? 

Yes. Most companies match gifts to any qualified 501(c)(3), so donations toward SAPA’s clean water initiatives or efforts to save lives in Sudan are typically eligible, as long as your employer’s program doesn’t restrict causes.

10. What if my employer isn’t currently on a matching gift list? 

Reach out to your HR or CSR team directly. many companies are open to starting a matching program, and an employee request is often the reason one gets created.