GIVE: HOW TO RUN AN EMPLOYEE CAMPAIGN

Employee campaigns are the heart of the United Way fundraising system. It is only through the mobilization of hundreds of modest employee gifts, contributed over the course of the year through payroll deduction, that United Way is able to raise the majority of dollars that it does to support the needed services of the local community.

Employers are instrumental in facilitating this massive fundraising effort by supporting and endorsing employee campaigns within the work place.

The first step is to find a supportive, enthusiastic employee to take on the responsibility of the Key Person. This person is ideally supported and endorsed by the CEO and respected and liked by employees.

Key people are the individual(s) who partner with United Way to organize and facilitate the in-house employee campaigns. In-house campaigns, complemented by payroll deduction, are what set United Way apart from others who fund raise in the community. Mobilization of in-house donors is a vitally important role to the overall health of the service community in Windham County.

Key people are what make this strategy successful. The role calls for good organization and leadership skills, thorough communication and enthusiasm, and energy and commitment to the United Way. Planning, structure and follow through are key to a successful campaign. You and other volunteers from within your workplace have full support and backup from the United Way office.

Key people can gain tremendous satisfaction for a job well done – for their company and their community.

KEY PERSON ACTIVITIES

There are FOUR steps to organizing and running a United Way Employee Campaign:

I. Getting Started
II. Planning the Campaign
III. Running the Campaign
IV. Wrapping Up the Campaign

I. Getting Started

A. Confirm CEO endorsement for your campaign. (United Way staff and Campaign
Committee volunteers can be helpful with this.)

B. Select a Campaign Committee to help you. (These are your planners and workers).

C. Review your prior year campaign: What worked? What did not?

D. Find out how other employees felt about prior campaigns, about United Way.

II. Planning the Campaign

A. Establish a campaign schedule. We have found that concentrated short campaigns are most effective.

B. Set financial and other goals for the campaign.

C. Develop a campaign strategy based on past approaches, current social and economic conditions and the general feelings about United Way within your place of employment.

E. Establish a plan to educate and interest employees about United Way and the campaign.

• Agency Presentations
• In house incentives
• Employer matching challenge
• Days off
• Special Parking privileges
• Prizes

F. Plan solicitation methods and schedule.

• Personal solicitation is most effective.
• Department solicitation is useful in larger places of business.

G. Approve payroll deduction option.

H. Establish in house monitoring and communication throughout campaign.

I. Plan how to thank your work place.

III. Running the Campaign

A. Stay involved.

B. Monitor your progress.

C. Check campaign progress against the goals you have set.

IV. Wrapping Up the Campaign

A. Express appreciation to those who helped you run the campaign.

B. Report results to fellow employees and THANK THEM!

C. Report results to United Way – see that everything is carefully and completely
documented.

D. Evaluate your campaign. Produce a summary report to help next year’s keyperson.

IDEAS!
FOR SUCCESSFUL UNITED WAY EMPLOYEE CAMPAIGNS

As we have reviewed past campaigns to learn from our successes we have drawn some simple conclusions. We hope you will consider these and find them helpful as well.

• Campaigns that are most successful are focused and time limited. Our experience tells us that a one or two-week campaign window is most effective. It interrupts the day to day work environment minimally yet offers enough time to solicit and encourage every employee to participate.

• Campaigns that are most successful are endorsed by business owners or leaders. Employer match programs not only increase the dollar value of the total campaign but they offer incentives for employees to give.

• Employee peers or managers facilitate campaigns that are most successful. Employees are more likely to be personally motivated and will feel better about giving when a peer introduces them to the idea.

• Campaigns that are most successful are sure to invite every staff member to respond to the solicitation. Employers who voice a desire for 100% participation often get it. Incentives for achieving this goal can be helpful.

• Campaigns that are most successful have people asking people to participate face to face. This strategy implies an in-house campaign team.

• Campaigns that are most successful set an in-house goal or challenge that asks people to rise to the occasion and surpass the past year’s accomplishment.

• Campaigns that are most successful Kick Off their campaign with a splash. Presenters from area agencies can come and talk about their work. United Way representatives can present about the organization and answer any questions that employees may have about the organization.

And finally, please call the office for any assistance you might need. Your success is our success! 802-257-4011 or by e-mail info@unitedwaywindham.org. Thank you so much!