This article explains how our company searches accounts for subsidiaries, brands, divisions, and spelling variations so donors can reliably find their employer and submit matches.
How our search is structured (at a glance)
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Linked terms per company: We attach a wide range of searchable terms—subsidiaries, brands, divisions, and alternate spellings—to each company’s primary record. ✔
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Smart autocomplete: As a donor types, autocomplete suggests the correct company to prevent “Company Not Found” dead-ends. ✔
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Goal: Maximize the chance that match-eligible donors quickly locate the right employer entry and access matching gift/volunteer grant info. ✔
What’s linked to each company
Use this as a checklist when reviewing or suggesting updates to company entries.
| Term type | What it covers | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Subsidiaries | Separate legal entities under a parent (e.g., network, studio, regional unit) | Employees often identify with the subsidiary, not the parent |
| Brands | Consumer-facing names and product lines | Donors search the brand they know |
| Divisions | Internal groups or business units | Captures department-level searches |
| Alternate spellings | Common misspellings, spacing/capitalization variants, long-form names | Prevents “not found” from typos and variants |
The table shows the four categories we index to funnel different donor search terms into the same authoritative company profile.
Example: The Disney family of terms
If someone searches a subsidiary/brand like ABC, ESPN, Disneyland, or Disneyworld, the tool directs them to the primary entry for The Walt Disney Company (so they’ll see the correct matching gift/volunteer grant rules). Likewise, spelling variants such as “Disney World,” “Walt Disney World,” or “The Walt Disneyworld Corporation” still point donors to the right record via autocomplete.
Why autocomplete matters
Without prompts from autocomplete, donors may keep typing and land on “Company Not Found.” Our approach minimizes that risk by nudging them to pick a recognized entry as they type.
FAQs
Q: Do donors need the exact legal name of their employer?
A: No. Common brands, divisions, subsidiaries, and misspellings are supported and map to the correct, primary entry.
Q: What if a donor still can’t find their company?
A: Encourage them to try a brand or subsidiary name, or a shorter root (e.g., “Disney” instead of long phrases). If the company truly isn’t listed, your team can request an addition via our standard process.
Q: Does this also help for volunteer grants?
A: Yes. Once routed to the correct employer entry, donors see both matching gift and volunteer grant details when available.