Tips for running a successful United Way campaign at your workplace. Campaign Guide

Transcription

1 Tips for running a successful United Way campaign at your workplace. Campaign Guide

2 Table of Contents Welcome to United Way of Blount County...2 What is United Way?...3 How Does United Way Work?...4 What Does an Employee Campaign Coordinator Do?...5 What Does a Loaned Executive Do?...6 The Elevator Speech Steps to Success Loaned Executives, Agency Speakers & Tours...11 Tips for Group Solicitation...12 Concerns & Objections...13 Sample CEO Letters...14 Leadership Giving & Employee Campaign Awards...15 Fund Distribution & Suggested Giving Guide...16 Questions & Answers Planning Timetable Chart...19 Employee Pledge Form...20 Designation Form...21 Campaign Report Envelope...22 Campaign Ideas Year Round Campaign Ideas...25 Did You Know?...26 Glossary of Campaign Terms...27 Saying Thank You...28 Have You Ever?...29 Notes...30

3 Congratulations and Welcome to United Way! Hello, You are now part of a group of caring individuals who positively impact thousands of people in need throughout our community. How are you going to make a positive impact? By asking one simple question, Will you please consider giving to United Way? The number one reason people mention for not giving to United Way is that they are not asked. This puts you in an extremely important position as the Employee Campaign Coordinator for your organization. Since 1954, United Way of Blount County has been in the business of improving lives in your community. By identifying and addressing critical needs, United Way community partners helped over 20,000 of your friends and neighbors last year. The resources and tips provided in this guide will help you plan an enjoyable, meaningful and efficient campaign. Please feel free to customize these ideas to meet your organization s needs or interests. We want you to have a successful campaign, and we are here to help! If you have any questions, please call your Loaned Executive or the United Way office at Thank you for helping us continue to help others! 2

4 What is United Way? United Way is an organization that brings volunteers, individuals and companies together throughout Blount County together in order to improve people s lives. Businesses and individuals can respond to multiple charity requests through one effort, and agencies can raise more money much more efficiently than by conducting separate workplace campaigns on their own. With just one gift, whether you use payroll deduction or write one check, you are helping over 20,000 individuals who are your neighbors, your friends, your family. Every dollar matters. Why give to United Way? Through your investment in the United Way, you are making a difference in our community. United Way works year-round supporting health and human service programs and ensuring their effectiveness. Chances are, you or someone you know, has benefited from a United Way of Blount County community partner. United Way works because it is: Local. Your contribution impacts the lives of over 20,000 people in need in Blount County. Efficient. Hundreds of volunteers assist in the annual campaign, allowing United Way to keep overhead low. Accountable. Over 100 community volunteers review programs throughout the year and make funding decisions with the Community Impact dollars raised in the fall campaign. Expert. United Way s priorities reflect our community s changing needs. 3

5 How Does United Way Work? 1. Volunteers representing a cross-section of the community are chosen to serve on the Fund Distribution Panels. 2. The volunteers visit the community partners in their field of service to see the money in action and to study their effectiveness. 3. Volunteers analyze every detail of the community partner s operation and financial data. 4. Community Partners make a presentation to the Fund Distribution Panel explaining their programs and how their United Way funds are used Volunteers reach a consensus as to how the contributions will be distributed, and upon approval of the United Way Fund Distribution Executive Committee and the United Way Board of Directors, the contributions are distributed to the United Way community partners. Your contribution makes an investment in 66 programs through 31 community partners, serving over 20,000 people in our community last year. 4

6 What does an Employee Campaign Coordinator Do? Job Description Title: Employee Campaign Coordinator (ECC) Objective: Enable your co-workers to participate in creating a stronger community by planning, organizing and coordinating a successful United Way campaign within your company. Report to: Your CEO Responsibilities: Attend ECC training at United Way. Work closely with your CEO, Loaned Executive and United Way staff member to develop an effective campaign plan, including dates, goals, etc. Recruit and coordinate a team of volunteers to assist you. Request speakers and tours from United Way. Coordinate the distribution and collection of campaign materials. Coordinate your company or organization s kickoff and recognition events. Promote the campaign throughout your company. Encourage leadership giving in your campaign. Encourage volunteerism among your co-workers. Educate your co-workers about United Way. Attend United Way kickoff, report meeting, and victory. You can invite your coworkers. Invite everyone to give. Make a gift yourself. Make your company campaign fun. Complete your campaign by giving a final report and pledge forms to your Loaned Executive. All designation forms must be received by United Way by December 10th. Thank your donors and volunteers. Evaluate and make recommendations for next year. Don t forget to keep a folder for next year s campaign. You or your successor will be glad you did. 5

7 What does a Loaned Executive Do? Job Description Title: Loaned Executive (LE) Objective: Provide leadership, fund-raising and teamwork skills to assist employee campaign coordinators (ECC) in leading successful United Way campaigns within their companies or organizations. Report to: United Way assigned staff member Responsibilities: Attend LE orientation and training at United Way. Analyze giving history for each company assigned, and work with United Way staff to establish and record current campaign status. Work closely with your employee campaign coordinators to develop effective campaign plans. Assist ECCs with presentations at campaign meetings and events, and ask for contributions. Manage the distribution and collection of campaign materials. Assist ECCs in planning and implementing their campaign kickoff and recognition events. Encourage leadership giving in every company campaign. Attend United Way Kickoff, report meeting, Victory and LE meetings. Make a gift yourself. Recruit new corporate and employee accounts. Complete and maintain accurate, comprehensive account files. Pick up company reports from your ECCs and submit all final reports with pledge forms to United Way in a timely manner. Thank your ECCs for leading successful campaigns. Evaluate and make recommendations for next year. 6

8 The Elevator Speech United Way Understands that you want to make a difference right here in Blount County. Working together, we can achieve so much more than we can accomplish alone. We concentrate on the underlying causes of our community s problems. Here in Blount County, we re focused on local issues like helping kids succeed, strengthening & supporting families, promoting self-sufficiency, improving people s health, and protecting community well-being. Through United Way our entire community works together to address these issues. We bring together people from all over Blount County government, business, labor, faith groups, nonprofits, and ordinary citizens to make the most impact in our community. Your United Way contribution meets basic needs and creates lasting change herein Blount County because that s what matters. Telling a Story Make It Personal - Introduce the character in your story. Think about how character development is done in books, newspaper articles and even movies. Include details about the character like where they live and where they work. Include quotes to personalize the story and add depth to the character. Identify the Problem - Talk about how this issue affects other people in the community and why it s important that it be addressed. Explain What United Way is Doing About It - You can never be too clear about United Way s role. Talk about who your partners are and how you collaborated to create the plan for addressing this issue in your community. Bring It Back to the Personal - Show how the work of United Way helped your character. Bring It Back to the Local Results - Talk about the impact of United Way s work on the larger community. Close Out With A Call To Action - End your story with a strong call to action. 7

9 1. Know Your United Way Your Job as an Employee Campaign Coordinator will be easier if you know some basic facts about United Way of Blount County. Attend United Way Training, Tours, and events. Review your campaign supplies. Visit the website at Quick Tip Fast Facts 1 in 5 Blount County residents accessed a United Way funded program last year. Administrative costs are less than 10%. United Way of Blount County is governed by a local volunteer Board of Directors and more than 200 volunteers are involved in various committees. 2. Involve Those at The Top Participation of top management is essential to a successful campaign. Ask them to: Endorse the campaign. Encourage top management members to give at The Pillars Society level of $1,000 or more. Allow employees to attend tours, trainings, and events. Identify others to assist you as members of the campaign committee. Speak in support of the campaign at company meetings and send personal endorsement and follow-up letters to employees. To make this easier, sample letters are available in the Campaign Guide. Approve incentives to be used for the campaign. 3. Organize a Terrific Team Recruit team members from management, labor, and support staff who are well-liked and respected by their co-workers. Get everyone involved! The campaign team will: Meet with last year s team to discuss the campaign s successes, strengths and challenges. Set a realistic campaign goal to motivate and encourage participation Set dates and times for your campaign meetings. Plan fun events and incentives that will help you reach your goal. Organize special events to raise money for United Way. Publicize your campaign plans to all employees. Quick Tip Adding Incentives Incentives need not be costly to be effective and the right incentive can capture people s attention. Check out the campaign ideas section for creative low cost and no cost incentive ideas. 8

10 Quick Tip Making the Ask Ask every employee to participate and to make a contribution by holding a minute group meeting. This is the most effective strategy for most companies. Try this sample employee meeting agenda: Welcome/CEO Campaign Endorsement United Way Video United Way Speaker Ask for the gift Wrap-up Some companies prefer to make one-on-one contacts with their employees. This is the most effective when a team of volunteers: Shares their knowledge of United Way Provides examples of people that are helped Each ask a limited number of co-workers Answers questions Asks for a contribution Says Thank You Build your campaign by recognizing or rewarding employees who: Turn in their pledge cards early Attend rallies or meetings Pledge one hour s pay per month Pledge a leadership gift Pledge through payroll deduction Or you can divide your company into teams and give incentives to the team with: The highest participation rate A 100% payroll deduction rate 100% return of pledge cards 4. Use Tools and Resources United Way has a wide variety of materials that are available to help you. Call or stop by the office and decide which items would work best. Quick Tip Most Popular Resources Speakers contact the United Way office at least two weeks in advance to arrange for a speaker from the Speakers Bureau, or ask your employees to speak. The message of a co-worker can have even more impact. Pins, Balloons, & Prizes Lapel pins, goal thermometers, and posters are available free of charge. Other United Way items everything from golf balls to desk sets can be ordered from the United Way catalog. Request a catalog from the United Way office. 5. Have Fun! Make your campaign fun! The most successful campaigns involve employees in something unexpected and different from the typical workday. Whether you volunteered to lead your campaign, or were volunteered, this should be a fun experience. If you and your campaign team are enjoying it, others will too and you will be successful. Quick Tip Be Creative The most successful campaigns use more than one way to reach their employees. Check out the Campaign Ideas section and brainstorm some ideas with your team. For best results, include an educational activity along with some fun. 9

11 6. Promote Understanding Don t assume your co-workers know what United Way is and how it works. Most people want to understand how their contributions impact the needs of the community. Reprintable e-newsletter articles, United Ways facts and other information are available by calling United Way. 7. Publicize Your Campaign A memorable event gets people s attention. Publicize your campaign plans and events in employee publications, special office displays, inter-office systems, and on bulletin boards. Get everyone involved. 9. Say Thank You Saying Thank You may be the most important element in winning the long-term support you ve worked so hard to achieve. Don t overlook the work of your campaign team; they ll appreciate the thanks and recognition. Quick Tip Toot your Horn It s important to your success to let everyone in your company know how the campaign is progressing. Try one or more of these ideas: Create a progress report to send via to all employees Post an honor roll of campaign volunteers and contributors Announce winners of various contests, incentives, etc. as they happen to encourage more people to get involved And, don t forget to report your results to United Way. 8. Report and Wrap-Up As you conduct your campaign, remind people of your deadlines, follow-up and keep everyone informed of your progress and results. When the campaign is complete, report the final results to your co-workers and to United Way. Designations received by United Way after December 10 will not be honored. 10. Maintain a Year Round Presence Most people tend to hear about United Way once a year at campaign time. Posters, n ewsletter articles and o ther communications remind employees that their gift is making an impact in the community throughout the year. United Way can also provide information about volunteer opportunities, planned giving, and services like United Way s Quick Tip 12 Months of Fun Some companies are holding United Way activities throughout the year. Check out the Year Round activities in the Campaign Ideas section. 10

12 Loaned Executives, Bureau Speakers & Tours Loaned Executive Program A Loaned Executive (LE) is an employee who has been selected by his/her CEO to support the United Way campaign. A comprehensive training program familiarizes the LEs with the United Way mission, the annual campaign, the Films, Tours & Speakers bureau and includes tours of local partner agencies to learn about services they provide to the community. The Loaned Executives are here to assist you and your organization and will be available during the United Way campaign to support you. For tours, speakers, materials, ideas, plans for rallies, films or training assistance your Loaned Executive can help. To request a Loaned Executive to help with your company campaign, call the United Way office. Speakers Bureau and Tours Tours at community partners are one of the most effective campaign tools available to you. To truly understand United Way, it is important that you understand what our product is: With this in mind, take the time with other employees or other members of your team and visit one of United Way s community partners. Being able to actually see where the dollars are going has a tremendous impact on those who take tours. This helps them understand the need for continued support. If it is impossible to visit a community partner, make arrangements with your LE or United Way representative to invite a speaker to come to your organization for a presentation. Be sensitive everyone in your organization may not have the same interests or the same needs. By using a survey, you can target the programs and services that most interest your employee population. Not only will this increase giving, but it will help you provide your employees with the information they want and need. A Key Managers tour could make a big difference in your campaign. Believing in what you re trying to sell will make a big difference in your company campaign. 11

13 Tips for Group Solicitation Schedule a minute rally with your CEO, affirming his/her attendance. Use sample agenda as a guide. Choose an appropriate meeting time. Publicize meetings well in advance and send reminders to employees. Sample Group Meeting Agenda CEO welcome and campaign endorsement United Way speaker presentation Remarks from Labor leader or employee testimonial 2 min 5 min 2 min Gain audience consensus by stating key benefits with which everyone can agree. It is important for our community to provide programs and services to those in need. United Way plays a critical role in making these programs possible. Solicit support for United Way by asking employees, then and there, to pledge a contribution. Group solicitation should be viewed as a structured sales call and should end with an appropriate closing that asks for the gift. United Way video Campaign Coordinator s closing remarks and distribution of pledge forms/ask for pledge Campaign coordinator collects pledge forms/thanks employees Meeting Time 4 min 5 min 2 min 20 minutes Remember to involve organized labor when appropriate. Labor is a significant force in community service and their history with United Way is impressive. Union leadership should also be included on the meeting agenda when appropriate. SAY THANKS! Recognize and thank your campaign team, solicitors and contributors. And give yourself a pat on the back. You make this possible! 12

14 Concerns & Objections Campaign solicitors may, on occasion, encounter people who object to contributing to United Way. Keep in mind that objections are a natural part of the campaign and offer you an opportunity to present more information. Here are some insights into the psychology of objection and suggestions for handling them: Objections are not personal. Remember, they are not directed at you. Objections are often not real. You must try to uncover the real issue. Show sympathy. Listen carefully and show your concern. This does not mean you agree, but that you care about the concern. Don t argue. Instead, offer information about the many ways United Way helps people, or offer to discuss the issue further after the group meeting. Encourage the objector to talk. Allow the person voicing the objection the opportunity to expand on it at length. An insecure, illogical or poorly thought-out objection will fail on its own. Relax and be yourself. You have the ideas to present, so be straightforward in your presentation. Solicitation is not a win/lose situation. Don t be afraid to say you don t know. Let those with questions know you ll get back to them with the answer, or tell them they can call United Way at

15 Sample Letters Letter of endorsement from CEO and/or Labor Leader Dear (Insert Employee Name): Did you know that United Way community partners helped one in five Blount County residents last year? The gifts made here at (Insert company name) helped feed the hungry, teach children with developmental disabilities and shelter battered women and children. United Way is the most effective and efficient way for you to help people who truly are in need. Did you know that hundreds of expert community volunteers distribute the money raised by United Way? Did you know that United Way is the leader in funding health and human service programs in our community? This is why I support United Way and (Insert Company Name) offers you the ease of payroll deduction to donate to United Way. I ask that you take the time this year to learn more about how United Way is making our community a better place to live, and consider joining me and the many other employees who pledge a gift through the use of payroll deduction. Sincerely, (CEO/Labor Leader Name) Thank You Letter Dear (Insert Employee Name): We have just finished our United Way campaign and I m happy to report it was our most successful ever! Because you gave generously, we were able to raise $ (Insert Amount) to help create lasting change in our community. I want to thank you for your participation in this year s campaign and for showing your support for these vital services in our community. I am extremely proud of you and the level of commitment shown by all of (Insert Company Name) s employees. Again, thank you. Through your generosity, you have made it possible for United Way to continue to provide necessary programs to our community. Sincerely, (CEO / Labor Leader Name) 14

16 Leadership Giving What is Leadership Giving? Leadership giving is a term United Way uses for recognizing donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually to the campaign. For $20 or more a week, a donor is listed in the annual Leadership Giving Book. Husband and wives may combine their gifts for recognition at one of the following levels: The Pillars Society Bronze Level $1,000 $2,499 Silver Level $2,500 $4,999 Gold level $5,000 $9,999 The Alexis de Tocqueville Society $ 10,000 or more Employee Campaign Awards One Award Three Ways to Qualify Employee Campaigns are the backbone of the annual United Way campaign. The following system has been established to recognize employee groups for their efforts to support the community through the annual United Way campaign. If your company or organization has five or more employees giving to the United Way, and meets one or more of the following, you can qualify for the Employee Campaign award percent of employees in your organization participate at a level of one hour s pay per month Employee Campaign is 10 percent greater than the 2006 campaign results. 3. Your Employee Campaign s giving per capita exceeds $75. Employee Campaign awards are presented in January at the United Way Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon. 15

17 Fund Distribution Your investment at work Over 100 community volunteers review programs throughout the year and make funding decisions with the Community Impact dollars raised in the fall campaign. Volunteers visit the community partners to see how they work and to study their effectiveness. Volunteers comb every detail of a community partner s operations and financial data. Community Partners present their list of needs to fund distribution volunteers. Volunteers reach a consensus as to how your gift will be distributed. Their recommendations are forwarded to United Way of Blount County s Board of Directors for final approval. Suggested Giving Guide United Way does not tell you what to give, but offers the following guide for giving. The plan is scaled according to income so the giver can be sure of giving his/her fair share. Up to $15,000 annual salary One hour s pay per month $15,000-$25,000 1% per month $25,000-$50, % per month $50, % per month 16

18 Questions and Answers What if I don t like one of the community partners that United Way funds? All United Way community partners provide valuable services to the community. Each partner is examined by volunteers who review programs and budgets in detail to ensure that people are being served effectively. A partners membership in United Way is based on the programs and services it provides, and not on its popularity. However, if you feel strongly about a particular partner, you may designate your contribution to the community partner of your choice. Why doesn t United Way include all organizations? There are two possible answers to this question. First, not all agencies want to be a part of a single, community-wide campaign. Second, United Way standards of financial accountability and program services are high. Some agencies would like to have the United Way seal of approval but don t quite measure up. I ve never been helped by a community partner. Why should I contribute? While it is true many of the services provided by United Way funded programs are for the poor, the hungry and those in need, there are partners that provide other necessary community services. The character-building programs of the Boy and Girl Scouts, the disease prevention programs of the American Heart Association and the Kidney Foundation and the emergency services provided by the American Red Cross and Blount County Rescue Squad are just a few that touch a broad range of our population. How can people who give to United Way of Blount County know their dollars are not being misused? Local volunteers are involved in every phase of United Way of Blount County s operations. For example, professionals from the field of finance guide the financial planning and accountability for the local United Way. They report regularly to the local board of directors to provide updates on the financial status of United Way of Blount County. In addition, United Way of Blount County undergoes a complete, independent financial audit annually by a local accounting firm. The most recent financial audit is available by calling to receive a copy. Even though I am employed in one county, I live in another county. Where should I give? Many people in this area live in one county and work in another. United Way of Blount County invests in programs that serve those who live, work, or have a family member in Blount County. It is often easier to give where you work, especially if your employer makes payroll deduction available. Through United Way, you can choose, if you wish, to which county your gift goes. On the designation form, you will find an option to select a particular county. 17

19 Questions and Answers, continued What is the suggested giving guide? United Way does not tell you what to give, but offers a suggested guide for giving. The plan is scaled according to income so the giver can be sure of giving his/her proportional share. Only YOU can decide how much you will give. However, since your United Way investment is distributed among so many different programs, you might ask yourself if your one annual investment in the United Way equals the total you would give to each agency if they all made separate appeals. Why should I give to United Way? Citizens of this community established the United Way over 50 years ago to help eliminate the confusion and expense of many separate appeals. The result has been a tremendous effort in channeling contributions directly into human services. The United Way community partners offer a broad mix of programs and services to meet the diverse needs of our total community. I hear some firms force their employees to give. How about that? United Way believes that every employee should receive an adequate explanation concerning the importance of United Way partners services. A proper approach by a volunteer solicitor includes an adequate explanation of the services. However, under no circumstance should an employee be threatened or coerced into giving. Giving is a personal matter and a personal decision. Whether individuals wish to give and how much they choose to give are up to the individual. What if I don t have any spare cash? Few of us could enjoy the houses, cars, or appliances we have if we had to pay cash for them. A year-round pledge is a more convenient manner of contributing for year-round services. Payroll deduction is one means, but an employee has the voluntary option of contributing cash or being billed for a deferred payment pledge. Who pays for United Way meetings? Civic minded businesses, organizations and individuals underwrite the costs of United Way meetings in addition to their generous support of the United Way campaign. None of the funds raised in the campaign are used to pay for United Way meetings. 18

20 Attend Employee Campaign Coordinators Training Review and analyze last year s campaign ACTIVITY Target Date Date completed Recruit a campaign team: Employee Campaign Chair, Leadership Gifts Chair, Campaign Communications Chair, Employee Committee and Solicitors Contact United Way Staff and/or Sponsored Representatives Train solicitors Assign tasks to committee Establish your leadership goal, company goal and timetable with your CEO, Leadership Gifts Chair, Campaign Communications Chair, and Employee Campaign Committee Request supplies from United Way Personalize gift cards Reserve meeting rooms Schedule campaign promotions/ publicity Plan kickoff/ rally, tours, speakers, film Send endorsement letter from CEO (and union endorsement letter, where appropriate) to all employees Conduct executive solicitation Conduct employee solicitation Hold committee progress report meeting(s) Indicate progress to employees Prepare weekly partial/final report for United Way (remember to include copies of pledge forms) Report final results to employees Thank employees and campaign committee Implement New Hires Program and Retirees Program Conduct campaign critique 19

21 Employee Pledge Form Designation Form Campaign Report Envelope

22 Using United Way and community partners as resources: Use materials available from United Way, such as the campaign video. Get community partner representatives to visit your company and talk about the benefits of United Way. Stories about clients are preferred over statistics. Clients or volunteers are preferred over administrators. Promote partner visits. Get employees to see first-hand how their contributions benefit those who need help. Emphasize community partners employees use. Use the annual Day of Caring to help employees get to know the community partners. Set up partner fairs at companies. Kick off your campaign by working at a community partner for a day. Within your company: Get management support; have them show their support by speaking frequently to employees. Have special United Way newsletters or have United Way sections or information in existing newsletters. Use payroll stuffers to get out information. Use voice mail or to distribute information. Approach non-givers to serve on United Way committees, like the fund distribution committee. Hold competition among groups. Get employees to speak from personal experiences. Have coordinators from different departments in your company. Special Events: Capitalize on existing special events like company picnics, family days, etc., and tie United Way to the event. Hold a picnic at the end of the campaign; offer door prizes. Bring items to picnic to donate to an adopted agency. Hold United Way Days or fairs with agency booths, carnival-like prize booths, dunking booths with upper management, pie-throwing contests, etc. For more great ideas, continue reading! 23

23 Food Related Activities if you feed them, they will come! Midnight Breakfast If your organization has a third shift, charge employees for a midnight breakfast served by executives and other day employees. Chili Cook-Off Employees cook their favorite chili. Organize a panel of expert judges to decide on the best recipe. Charge employees to sample the goods. Throw a food party Host a company picnic, potluck, ice cream social, pizza party, or pancake breakfast with all proceeds going to United Way. Educational Idea: Bagging It Designate a day as Brown Bag Day every month or every other month. Encourage staff to bring their lunches on that day and bring in a speaker to talk about a United Way funded program. After the lunch, post a brief summary of the presentation on your websites, print it in your newsletter, or distribute via . Miscellaneous Activities Flower Event Have a local florist donate flowers. Employees purchase the flowers with proceeds to the United Way. Auctions Auction off staff services like babysitting, oil changes, lunch for a week, executive parking spaces, donated merchandise, or services. Try conducting the auction over your internet site. Coin War Set up a large empty water bottle for each department in a central location. Employees drop their spare change into the bottle. Coins are positive while paper money is negative. Employees can sabotage opponents by dropping paper money into their bottle. The group with the highest point value wins. All cash collected is donated to United Way. Tennessee Volunteers Day Sell buttons that allow employees to wear their Vols gear on a given Friday before the big game during the season. Host a Vols tailgate party during the lunch hour asking employees to bring their favorite dish. For even more fun play United Way Trivia. Fundraisers: Causual Day Softball/Volleyball tournament Bake Sale Employee cookout Carnival Silent Auction Company Potlucks Employee cookbooks Contests: Office Olympics Employee Bake-offs Voice mail/ quiz Cubical Decorating contest In-office talent show Quick Ideas Incentives: Offer days off from work Casual day Hold raffles for givers Reserved parking Hold a swap jobs with your boss raffle Tickets to movies Grocery certificates Gas cards Dinner for two Hotel Get-a-ways Sleep-in passes Yard work certificates Free lunch Use of lake or rental houses Wines, turkeys, or holiday gifts Golf lessons Car washes 24

24 Some companies are expanding their campaign and building awareness by holding an activity each month or two. Here are some great monthly ideas. For more special days, check out January the 19th is National Popcorn Day. Why not turn your breakroom or conference room into a movie theater, show old movies or television shows, pop some popcorn and charge admission! Or, sell fresh-popped popcorn by the bag. February the obvious is Valentine's Day. Help your co-workers with their shopping by selling chocolates or flowers, with the profits going to United Way. March the 23rd is National Chip and Dip Day. Celebrate by inviting co-workers to make their favorite dip or salsa recipe. Charge a fee to sample the entries and $1 each for copies of the recipes. April try an Easter Egg Raffle. Fill plastic eggs with raffle numbers. People buy eggs with raffle numbers. People buy eggs or chances for springtime prizes such as potted flowers like tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, and lilies. May the 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day. Sponsor a baking contest. Votes are cast for the best chocolate chip recipe with dollars or change. June an ice cream social is a great event for June, National Dairy Month. Set up an ice cream bar with a variety of favorite toppings. Charge employees by the scoop. July the 23rd is National Hot Dog Day. Have a cook-out and play hot dog trivia! August A Corn Roast is a great August activity. Grill sweet corn and charge by the ear. Be sure to have plenty of salt and butter available! September in honor of Baby Safety month, gather baby pictures of co-workers participating in a safety precaution, like wearing a helmet or fastened in a car seat. Have a contest to see who can correctly name the most co-workers. Contestants pay a fee to take part. Give an award for the most correct matches. October Sell and deliver candy grams throughout the office, with the proceeds going to United Way, or host a costume contest in honor of Halloween. November the third week in November is game and puzzle week, so recruit employees to play a chosen board game. Create a pool around the winning team or allow employees to move/ acquire a game piece for every returned pledge card. December sell Bingo cards in honor of National Bingo month. Then send s sporadically throughout the week with one or two Bingo numbers each time. The first person to get Bing should let everyone know by sending an to all users and, of course, he or she will win a donated prize! 25

25 Did You Know? 2007 Community Impact Partners Helping Kids Succeed Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Blount County Boys & Girls Clubs of Blount County Boy Scouts of America Dolly Parton s Imagination Library Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council Success By 6 Strengthening & Supporting Families Information and Referral Network Child & Family TN Blount County The Florence Crittenton Agency Haven House Safe Haven Center USO Promoting Self-Sufficiency Blount County Literacy Council Douglas Cooperative East Tennessee Technology Access Center Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service Improving People s Health American Heart Association of East TN East TN Children s Hospital Rehab Center Epilepsy Foundation of East TN LTVEC Birth to Three Program National Kidney Foundation of East TN Second Harvest Food Bank Protecting Community Well-Being American Red Cross Blount County Chapter Blount County Rescue Squad Legal Aid of East TN Supporting New Ventures Child & Family TN: Firm Foundations for Self-Sufficiency The Gate: Gateway to Independence* Good Neighbors: Emergency Assistance Habitat for Humanity: Budget Basics Mary E. Tippet Memorial Library of Townsend: After-school Program* Trinity Health Ministries: Dental Care * Funded Through A Venture Grant $1 a week will give one night s lodging for a family fire victim. $5 a week will give a child a safe place to go after school to work on his homework, jump shot, and character. $10 a week will provide an elderly shut-in with a weekly visit, warm meal and help with her basic care so she can stay in her home. $15 a week will provide adaptive equipment for an individual with a disability. $20 a week will provide hope for a little boy because life offers many challenges to him including a simple reach for mom and sitting on his own. 26

26 Glossary of Campaign Terms Alexis de Tocqueville Society - a recognition level for individuals and families contributing $10,000 or more annually to United Way. Average Gift - total gift of all employees divided by the number of givers. This calculation is more meaningful when used along with a percentage of participation. Do not confuse with per capita gift. Bill Direct - a pledge that the donor requests a billing statement from United Way. Campaign Cabinet - the Executive Committee of the community-wide campaign chaired by Campaign Chairman. Campaign Supplies - materials used in the campaign, such as: pledge forms, brochures, posters, campaign video, etc. Card Value - last year s total giving. This is the amount you hope to build on as you enter your new campaign. Campaign Video - video used as an educational and informational tool for local audiences to enhance giving. Community Partner - Programs or agencies funded by the United Way. Community Partner Tours - arranged tours of selected agencies for groups of employees to get on-site education of services. Corporate Gift - an annual contribution in the name of the firm. Designations - an option provided to contributors who wish to designate their gift to a specific agency or another United Way. Employee Campaign Coordinators (ECC) - the person appointed by the management head of a firm to conduct the employee campaign for United Way. Employee Group Meeting - a brief meeting held on company time at which groups of employees are shown the United Way video preceded by a speaker (introduced by CEO or ECC) and followed by distribution and collection of pledge forms. A well-planned group meeting can be conducted in twenty minutes. Final Report - the results of an organization s completed campaign which includes total dollar amount, number of contributors, total cash, total payroll deduction and number of givers. Kickoff - the formal start of the campaign in the community. Loaned Executive (LE) - The Loaned Executive functions as a member of a team, working directly with campaign staff and volunteers, to manage employee campaign group results. LEs work approximately 4-6 hours a week during the traditional UW campaign season. A loaned executive compliments but does not replace the employee campaign coordinator. New Money - funds that are raised over card value (last year s total giving). Pacesetter Campaign - is run prior to the general campaign and provides an opportunity to test solicitation practices and help to determine the fund raising climate for the general drive. The campaign totals from a select number of accounts are announced publicly and used to jump-start the general campaign. Partial Report - an interim status report of a firm s campaign submitted in a report envelope and indicated as Partial. Payroll Deduction - an opportunity for employees to spread their giving over a period of time through authorized deductions each payday. Per Capita Gift - (a) corporate per capita is determined by dividing the corporate gift by the total number of employees in their company. (b) employee per capita is the total employee contribution divided by the total number of employees in the company. Percent Participation - the number of givers divided by the number of employees. Pillars Society - a recognition level for individuals and families contributing $1,000 or more annually to United Way. Pledge - a promise to make a United Way contribution in installments over a specified period of time (not longer than a year). Potential - this figure is based on prevailing average hourly wage within each trade group starting with one hour s pay per month (to calculate multiply annual salary by 0.006). 27

27 Saying Thank You During and after a successful campaign, it s important to say thanks to all the employees who volunteered their time and energy. Here are some ideas to convey your gratitude: Host a thank you breakfast or luncheon at a local restaurant or have management cook food on office premises. Develop a bulletin board featuring your employees efforts: hang a giant thank you card, post a thank you from an agency or develop a collage of photos of your employees doing volunteer work or helping with the campaign. Hand out pens, hats, T-shirts, or notepads with the United Way logo on them. Insert thank you notes with pay checks or pay stubs. Distribute candy with a personalized note from management. Display thank you messages on computer screens, bulletin boards, voice mail, etc. Spend a few minutes at the next staff meeting during which your CEO can congratulate employees and acknowledge campaign workers. Start the day on the right foot by delivering coffee and pasties to each employee s desk. Run a thank you ad in your company newsletter. United Way of Blount County 1615 E. Broadway Avenue Maryville, TN uwbc@unitedwayblount.org 28

28 Have You Ever? Have you ever in a single day Found a child a place to play? Or helped a woman find a house When she s been battered by her spouse? Or helped an elder manage strife And given him back a better life? Or cooked a meal for homeless men And found them blankets, bed and then Bought a girl a teddy bear And smoothed the tangles from her hair? Or helped a little boy learn to use a tool, And later helped him get into a good school? Have you ever in a single day done so much? Well, by the way You ve done all that, and even more, when you say, I donated through United Way. Thank you for investing in what matters. 29

29 NOTES: 30

30 United Way of Blount County 1615 E. Broadway Avenue Maryville, TN (865) Fax: (865)