It’s finally the end of year, which means it’s time for wrapping up gifts, watching your favorite holiday movies, and sending warm wishes to friends and family. But there’s still one more thing to do during the season of giving and generosity.

Before the end of the year, you can make a gift to Birmingham-Southern and have a large impact on students as soon as this spring. Plus, your employer might match your gift and double or triple your support.

“Many of the donors I work with are surprised to learn that their company will match donations to charitable organizations,” says Lauren Tennant ’13, assistant director of annual giving. “The impact of matching gifts can’t be underestimated, and all of the forms needed to make a matching gift are easily available to those who qualify.”

More than 15,000 companies have matching programs that reciprocate charitable contributions made by employees, spouses, and even retirees. Through a company match, your gift supporting one faculty research project becomes two or three projects; a conference stipend becomes a summer travel scholarship; one guest speaker becomes a full speaker series.

You can choose to give now and request a company match, or you can request a match on a previous gift you’ve made, usually within the last calendar year depending on the program. Search for your employer’s matching program using our online “Double the Donation” tool at bsc.edu/match.

Here are a few of our top company partners whose matching programs have benefitted BSC.

• Southern Company (including Alabama and Georgia Power) matches donations between $25 and $5,000 from part-time, full-time, and retired employees.
• Regions Financial Corporation matches donations between $25 and $1,000 from part-time and full-time employees.
• State Farm Insurance matches donations to colleges and universities between $25 and $3,000 from part-time, full-time, and retired employees.
• ExxonMobil matches donations between $20 and $7,500 from part-time and full-time employees as well as spouses. Gifts from current employees and outside directors can be matched up to $2 for every $1.
• Wells Fargo & Company matches donations between $25 and $2,000 for full-time and part-time employees through their Community Care Grants program.
• The Bank of New York Mellon matches donations between $24.99 and $10,000 from full-time and part-time employees through their Community Partnership Campaign.
• KPMG matches donations between $50 and $10,000 from full-time and part-time employees, directors, and retirees giving to a higher education institution.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Company matches donations between $25 and $30,000 from full-time employees.