Posted on November 11, 2026 by Wendy Frost
As we enter the season of giving, see how alumni are utilizing matching gifts to maximize their philanthropy.
In business, the smartest investors know that growth rarely comes from standing still. Success is built by identifying opportunities that amplify returns, leveraging existing assets and multiplying the impact of every dollar spent. The same principle applies to philanthropy.
Through matching gift programs, a donor’s investment doesn’t simply support scholarships, faculty research or innovative programs — it doubles down on them. Each year, companies set aside millions of dollars to match charitable contributions made by employees and retirees, effectively doubling — or sometimes tripling — the impact of a donor’s gift. Yet matching gift programs remain one of philanthropy’s most underutilized opportunities.
Susan Thibodeaux, ’85, managing director in EY’s Oil and Gas Center in Houston, recognized early in her 28-year career at EY the merits of utilizing her company’s matching gift program. Contributing smaller amounts earlier in her career, she has increased her giving as she has risen through the ranks.
Wanting to help students in need, she was inspired to establish the Susan Blackford Thibodeaux Endowed Scholarship for accounting majors in 2021. As a scholarship recipient herself, Thibodeaux knew firsthand the impact scholarships play in a student’s academic journey.
For the past five years, she maxed out her EY match to meet her personal giving goal. Today, her scholarship now supports two students annually.
“I did a couple of smart things as part of my giving,” said Thibodeaux. “First, I made sure I got my match every year from EY. Then, I’d look at my portfolio for stocks with the most gains and used the appreciated stocks for my donation. You get a full fair market value charitable contribution for your stock, and you reduce your tax gains.”
Over 1,000 companies sponsor matching gift programs, and some companies will even match gifts from retired employees, part-time employees and spouses.
“I give because education is important,” said Thibodeaux, who met with her scholarship students for the first time this year. “I am a lady of faith. I feel that I’ve been blessed, so I should bless others by giving back.”
For Oladapo Olaleye, MBA ’09, global head of IT business excellence at Nordson Corporation, it was a mentor who instilled in him the philosophy of paying it forward to the organizations that helped shape his journey. As a first-generation immigrant, he recognized the important role that the Carlos Alvarez College of Business plays in helping students achieve their dreams and felt compelled to support that mission.
His desire to give back grew even stronger when he learned that his employer, which shares his commitment to community engagement, offers a generous three-to-one matching program for employee donations.
“As a finance major, I’ve always appreciated the power of the multiplier effect,” said Olaleye, who is a member of the college’s Dean’s Advisory Council. “When I learned that my company would match my contributions, I saw an opportunity to amplify my impact — transforming each dollar into greater support for the college, its students and its future.”
As part of UT San Antonio’s annual Giving Day event this year, Olaleye sponsored a $20,000 challenge match, encouraging others to maximize the impact of their gifts while supporting student success initiatives.
“I wanted to inspire others to give and provide them with an opportunity to multiply their contributions, just as I was able to do through my company’s matching program,” said Olaleye.
Witnessing firsthand how the college supports learning opportunities beyond the classroom through these gifts, has been especially meaningful to Olaleye.
“I’m a huge proponent of empowerment through education. My passion for learning and for supporting and uplifting others is a fire I hope never burns out,” he said. “We are all humans at the end of the day, and the best thing that I can do is leave the world a better place than how I found it.”
— Wendy Frost
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Many employers match donations dollar-for-dollar. Notable companies who offer matches include EY, USAA and Marathon. The process is simple: make your gift, submit a match request through your employer and the company verifies and sends the matching funds. Check to see if your employer participates. https://doublethedonation.com/
