Are donation credits and donation matches the same?

Donation credits and donation matches both come from your employer, but they aren’t the same. Matches are triggered when you donate your own funds to a charity (example: you donate $10 to the Red Cross). Your company will match your $10 donation and send another $10 to that same charity. With Groundswell, the match from your company will appear immediately*, and the Red Cross would receive $20! Match programs include a match limit, and often include an expiration date - which may be tied to the calendar year or a company’s fiscal year.

Donation credits are more like a gift from your employer. They can send you credits whenever they like. Donation credits are funds that your employer has given you to donate to a charity. They're often used to celebrate something like an anniversary or a holiday, and they may have an expiration date tied to them.

*If your company does not process donation matches instantly, then the match status will show has pending in accordance with the company's program configuration.