Do you want to double the money you donate to the Highland Park Elementary PTA without it coming out of your pocket? Many companies have a corporate match program, where your contribution to the PTA is matched, dollar for dollar, by your corporation or its charitable foundation. (Full disclosure: these programs would allow you to donate to many other non-profit organizations beyond just the PTA).

Some companies even have matching programs for donations commensurate with the amount of volunteer time spent by their employees (i.e. if you work 10 volunteer hours for the PTA and report them to your volunteer matching program, your company will make a donation to the PTA based on these 10 hours of volunteered time).

Matching programs are a great way for companies or foundations to help support their employees’ charities, while non-profit organizations like the PTA get the benefit of a doubled donation.

Below is a limited list of companies which we know have a corporate match program for their employees:

3M, ADP, Aetna, Alliant Energy, Altria Group, AMD, Applied Materials, AT&T, Bank of America, Brinks Home, Security, Caterpillar, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Dell’s Direct Giving Campaign, Dell Foundation, Emerson, ExxonMobil, Freddie Mac, Freescale, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Hospira, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG Microsoft, National Instruments, Oracle, Safeway, Silicon Labs, Spansion, Sprint Foundation, Sun Microsystems, UBS Financial, Verizon, Wells Fargo

Please Note: This list is NOT comprehensive… these are only the known companies with matching gift programs. So, if your company is not listed here, you may still have a matching program. Please check with your company or foundation and email us to include your organization on our list.

The Matching Process

Every company or foundation handles their matching program differently. Sometimes employees must fill out a company form and offer proof of the donation. Others require a mini-grant application and more specific documentation from the charity. Still others collect your contribution through periodic payroll deductions, and the total gift – including the corporate match – is sent directly to Leadership Austin by the company/foundation.

What Are Donations?

Donations are monies given to the PTA which do not come with a direct benefit back to you. In addition to straight donations, personal (not corporate) sponsorships at the Hoot and *Fling* are considered donations. (Currently, Spanish tuition does not qualify as a donation.)

Already Understand Your Company Program?

Sometimes it is difficult for first time donors to navigate the processes a company may have in place for their donation matching programs. If you work for a company which has a such a program and you feel like you could be an unofficial liaison for other HP parent employees of your company, we would greatly appreciate your assistance. As the liaison, all we would ask is that you could serve as a contact point for those trying to understand and work their way through that system. We are not asking that you be an expert, just a friendly face or voice who might be able to answer some questions, or at least guide someone to the right place to have their questions answered for the program. If you feel that you could assist with such a role, just send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll get back to you right away!

No matter the process, the PTA stands ready to help make things as easy as possible for you. We have found that you should first contact your company or foundation to determine their specific steps for matching. Next, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. you need the PTA to fill out a form, send a letter, or complete a grant application. We are always willing and able to help!