Matching-gift programs at U.S. corporations may be the next casualty of the economic crisis, The Wall Street Journal reported in a Jan. 14 article.

Companies such as General Motors, Procter & Gamble and Pfizer are scaling back on the practice of matching charitable contributions made by their employees. To cut costs in a down economy, many companies are reducing their matching ratios or excluding part-time employees from participating.

Of the $8.6 billion donated to charity by U.S. corporations in 2007, about 10 percent came from matching-gift programs, according to data from HEP Development Services.