Employer Append Vendors Compared What Should You Look For
General Fundraising

Employer Append Vendors Compared: What Should You Look For?

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If you’re looking to boost workplace giving revenue, deepen donor insights, or enhance corporate engagement efforts, having accurate employer information is essential. However, there are likely some gaps in your donor data. And that’s where employer append vendors come in.

By enriching your database with current workplace data, you can unlock new fundraising potential and discover strategic opportunities.

But with several vendors offering employer append services, how do you know which one is the right fit for your nonprofit? In this post, we’ll break down what employer appends are, why they matter, and the key features you should look for when evaluating vendors. We’ll cover:

Making an informed decision about the best employer append vendor for your needs is a critical step in the data appending process. Dive into this complete guide and side-by-side comparison of top services to learn more and get started. Let’s begin!

What Is an Employer Append Vendor?

An employer append vendor is a company or service provider that helps nonprofits enhance their donor data by identifying where their supporters work. This process (known as an employer append) involves matching donor records with external data sources to “append” (or add) accurate employment information. This might include the donor’s current employer, job title, and even workplace giving eligibility.

Rather than spending hours manually researching LinkedIn profiles or outdated contact lists, organizations can work with an employer append vendor to efficiently process large batches of donor records. These vendors typically use a mix of public data, proprietary databases, and verification tools to deliver accurate and up-to-date employer information.

Why does this matter? For nonprofits, knowing where donors work opens the door to a range of fundraising opportunities. Most notably, it helps identify matching gift, volunteer grant, and payroll giving qualifications, since many companies offer these generous giving programs. It also supports tailored corporate outreach, better segmentation, and advanced tracking.

Key Features to Look for in an Employer Append Vendor

Choosing the right employer append vendor can make all the difference in the quality, usability, and impact of your employment data. As you evaluate your options, keep an eye out for these key features that separate top-tier vendors from the rest:

1. Data Accuracy and Match Rate

The value of an append is only as strong as its accuracy. Look for vendors that use verified, reputable data sources and offer high match rates. The best providers will disclose their average success rate and explain how they validate their results, so you can trust the data you’re adding to your database.

2. Turnaround Time

Timeliness matters, especially if you’re planning a campaign or launching a dedicated workplace giving initiative. While some vendors offer real-time or near-instant results (especially when paired with automation tools), others process data in batches that may take several days or even weeks to complete. As you consider your options, you’ll want to choose based on your overall timeline and sense of urgency.

3. Customization Options

Not all nonprofits need the same data. A strong employer append vendor should offer customizable fields beyond just the employer name, such as job title, department, work location, and, perhaps most importantly, workplace giving information. When done well, this allows for more targeted segmentation and increasingly tailored outreach.

4. Workplace Giving Platform Integrations

For maximum efficiency, select a vendor that integrates with your existing workplace giving fundraising platforms. After all, seamless data syncing reduces manual work, improves data hygiene, and ensures the appended info can be used immediately in your campaigns. Plus, it allows you to get the most out of the workplace giving tools you already pay for!

5. Matching Gift and Corporate Giving Tools

Some vendors go beyond employer appends to offer integrated matching gift databases and automated corporate philanthropy tools. If you’re focused on maximizing corporate giving revenue, this bundled approach can streamline your efforts and lead to more dollars coming your way.

6. Transparent Pricing

Understand exactly what you’re paying for. Top vendors will offer clear pricing structures, whether per record, per batch, or through a subscription cost. Avoid hidden fees, and be sure to ask if pricing varies based on the level of detail provided.

7. Customer Support and Guidance

Quality support makes a big difference. This is especially true if you’re new to employer appends! Therefore, keep an eye out for vendors that offer dedicated account reps, onboarding help, or strategic advice on how to use your appended data effectively.

By prioritizing these features, your organization can ensure a better return on investment and make meaningful use of the employer data you acquire, turning insights into actionable fundraising results.

Top Employer Append Vendors: A Side-by-Side Comparison

When it comes to employer appends, not all vendors offer the same value. Below, we compare two widely used solutions (Double the Donation and NPOInfo) to help you understand which is best suited to your nonprofit’s needs.

Comparing top employer append vendors

Double the Donation — The Best Solution for Growing Revenue

Double the Donation is best known for its industry-leading workplace giving automation platform, but it also offers powerful employer append functionality. Designed specifically for nonprofits focused on maximizing corporate giving, Double the Donation’s solution integrates seamlessly with your existing donor data systems and campaigns.

Key Benefits:

  • Built-in employer identification: Employer information is surfaced within the donation process to supply insights in addition to appended data.
  • Real-time workplace giving insights: Provides detailed, company-specific information on matching gifts, volunteer grants, and payroll giving programs to grow corporate giving revenue with ease.
  • Focus on corporate philanthropy: Ideal for nonprofits prioritizing matching gifts, volunteer grants, and broader corporate giving opportunities such as in-kind donations and sponsorships.

Best For: Organizations looking for an all-in-one corporate giving solution with automated employer identification and actionable workplace giving insights.

NPOInfo — Another Leading Employer Append Vendor

On the other hand, NPOInfo offers employer appends through a traditional batch-based model. They manually process lists of donor data and return employment information, which can be helpful for small nonprofits or those with highly specific data needs. However, the service lacks the automation, real-time insights, and integration capabilities of more advanced solutions.

Key Considerations:

  • Manual batch processing: Slower turnaround times, typically days or weeks.
  • Limited CRM integrations: No direct syncing with donor databases makes manually leveraging the data returns more difficult.
  • No matching gift database access: Focuses solely on appending employer data without providing accurate, up-to-date information on workplace giving eligibility.

Best For: Organizations with one-time data projects or custom append requests not tied to ongoing fundraising or workplace giving workflows.

Ultimately, while both vendors offer employer appends, Double the Donation stands out as the more robust and strategic solution. This is especially true for organizations seeking to grow their workplace giving revenue and streamline donor engagement with real-time data and automation tools.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Vendor

Before committing to an employer append vendor, it’s essential to dig deeper than surface-level features. Asking the right questions can help you assess not only the quality of the data but also the long-term value the vendor provides.

Here are some key questions to guide your evaluation of the tools:

1. What is your data source, and how do you verify accuracy?

Understanding where the vendor gets its data, and how often it’s updated, is critical. For the best results, ask each potential vendor if their append results are based on public records, proprietary databases, or third-party partners. The best vendors will also have clear processes in place for verifying employment information, so that’s something you’ll want to consider as well.

2. What is your average match rate?

Match rate refers to the percentage of donor records that are successfully appended with employer information. While results can vary depending on your file, a transparent vendor should be able to provide benchmarks and examples of past performance.

3. How long does the append process take?

Timelines can vary widely, from real-time results to multi-week batch processing. Be sure to ask how long it will take to receive your data back, especially if you’re planning around an upcoming campaign or fiscal deadline.

4. Can you help identify workplace giving opportunities?

If maximizing corporate giving is a goal, check if the vendor offers built-in tools or integrations to match appended employer data with company giving programs. Vendors like Double the Donation offer this as part of a broader workplace giving ecosystem, and the supplied insights can go a long way in advancing your revenue goals.

5. What support and training do you provide?

The right vendor isn’t just a data provider; they’re a strategic partner. Ask prospective service providers if they offer onboarding, customer support, or training to help your team interpret and act on the appended data.

7. How is pricing structured, and are there any hidden fees?

Clear, upfront pricing is essential. Ensure you understand how the vendor charges (per record, batch, or subscription), whether re-appends incur additional costs, and if there are any setup or support fees.

By asking these questions, you’ll be better equipped to choose a vendor that not only fits your technical needs but also aligns with your fundraising goals and internal capacity.

Wrapping Up & Additional Employer Append Resources

Choosing the right employer append vendor can significantly impact your nonprofit’s ability to identify workplace giving opportunities, engage donors more effectively, and drive corporate support. By focusing on accuracy, turnaround time, actionable insights, and more, you’ll be better equipped to select a provider that aligns with your overall goals.

Whether you’re new to employer appends or simply looking to upgrade your current process, investing in the right solution can pay dividends, both in terms of donor relationships and fundraising revenue. Take the time to compare your options, ask the right questions, and make sure your vendor is more than just a data provider; they should be a strategic partner in your success.

Interested in learning more about how the right employer append vendors can supercharge your workplace fundraising? Read these additional resources:

Get started with our preferred employer append vendor, Double the Donation.

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