Last week, the Federal government and the province of Alberta announced they would match donor contributions to the Canadian Red Cross’s appeal for relief funds for Jasper, AB. 

Since as early as 2010, the federal government has issued matching pledges in response to natural disasters. 

The aim of these programs is to increase the number of donors who give, by boosting the motivation to donate. Matching programs increase a donor’s sense of being part of a cooperative effort, while also getting a deal—through a “buy two, get one free,” effect, according to researchers. 

Studies have shown these programs help. 

Donors in a 2011 study were 22 per cent more likely to give when a matching program was in place. This increased the participating charity’s overall fundraising revenue by 19 per cent. 

However, these programs are not immune to critique. 

In matching programs from Pakistan to Fort McMurray, the federal government often chooses just one or a couple of large, name-brand charities to receive matching funds. 

This can exacerbate inequities between national charities and smaller organizations, reducing their resilience, according to experts. 

This issue is likely to get more attention in the coming years as climate change has accelerates the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and tornadoes, and weather-linked natural disasters, such as wildfires.

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