CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR ACTION GUIDE

Transcription

1 CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR ACTION GUIDE United Way of Whatcom County 1500 Cornwall Avenue, Suite 203, Bellingham, WA (360) UnitedWayWhatcom.org

2 WELCOME As an employee campaign coordinator (ECC), you do a lot to convey the importance of living United. We appreciate you and want to make your job as easy as possible. Use this step-by-step guide to make planning and carrying out a winning campaign simple and fun. And, when you need a real person to talk to, we re only a phone call away: CAMPAIGN IN A FLASH Look for this USB icon throughout your action guide. When you see it, plug in your Campaign in a Flash drive to access tools and templates. Prefer a web version? No problem. You ll find everything you need at: UnitedWayWhatcom.org/campaign-tools CONTENTS Step 1: Recruit a Winning Team... Step 2: Determine Your Timeline... Step 3: Set a Goal... Step 4: Step it Up... Step 5: Plan Your Activities... Step 6: Spread the Word... Step 7: Ask... Step 8: Thank, Inform, and Celebrate... Step 9: Wrap it Up... Step 10: Stay in Touch

3 STEP 1: RECRUIT A WINNING TEAM Why work alone when you can work United? Having a team allows for additional creativity and cuts the workload into easy-to-manage pieces. RECRUIT TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE: Energetic and enthusiastic Solution-oriented Eager to learn and willing to try new things Driven and community-focused Organized and follow-through... AND WHO: Represent multiple departments within your workplace Bring a variety of perspectives and come from different backgrounds Have a range of experience levels that allow you to blend new ideas with tried-and-true favorites THE HATS YOU LL WEAR: Leader. Set the tone of the campaign. Supporter. Encourage team members and help guide them through the process. Communicator. Make goals and tasks clear to each team member. Promote the campaign in a way that explains the work and inspires everyone to LIVE UNITED. STEP 2: DETERMINE YOUR TIMELINE The typical campaign runs in the fall or early winter, and contributions via payroll deduction begin January 1st. Be sure to work with your payroll department when determining your timeline. Most campaigns span 1-2 weeks. If your workplace is particularly large or includes multiple branches, it may be more realistic for your campaign to take place over the course of a month. If all that sounds cumbersome, opt for a one-day campaign. Do what works for you. Just be sure to have a plan. 2

4 STEP 3: SET A GOAL To reach a goal, you must set a goal. But you don t have to pick just one. Perhaps you want to: Increase employee participation from % to %. Increase total dollars raised from $ to $. Increase number of leadership donors ($1,000+) from to. Increase average gift size from $ to $. Increase special event sales/gifts from $ to $. Other: Other: Maybe you re the competitive type. Starting up a little friendly competition internally between departments can be fun. Or maybe your favorite industry rival also runs a United Way campaign and thinks their campaign can top yours. In a game like that, everyone wins. The real question is, how will you set the stakes? A LITTLE MOTIVATION NEVER HURTS Think about ways to inspire your co-workers to reach your established goals. The options are endless: Extra paid time off Double lunch breaks for a week Jeans day Food (Donuts. Pizza. You know the drill.) Prize drawings Or try the ol humiliation of leadership shtick: Pete Stark of WTA let his employees dye his beard blue when they met their giving goal. Dunk tank Pie in the face Polar bear plunge Karaoke 3

5 STEP 4: STEP IT UP STEP IT UP SECRET #1: CEO SUPPORT: Take time to make sure your upper management team are on board with your campaign plans. Help them feel excited about their role in setting the tone for a successful giving campaign. When a CEO outwardly shows their passion for giving back to the community, morale is boosted. Giving tends to go up, too, which turns into big community impact. If your boss is hesitant about making a direct ask to employees, we can make the ask. There are other ways they can show their support. Announce that they re giving. Attend your events. That sort of thing. If they re still feeling sheepish, it may be helpful to show them you ve done your homework. What s good for us is good for them: A strong United Way Campaign will boost your company s reputation. When a company exhibits strong corporate social responsibility, the impact* on consumers is big: 92% 87% 88% 89% have a more positive image of the company. are more likely to support the company. are more loyal to the company. switch to brands associated with good causes, given similar price and quality. A strong United Way Campaign will build a more loyal workforce. Millenials will soon make up 50% of the workforce. Here s how they feel** about corporate social responsibility (CSR): 76% consider a company s CSR when deciding where to work. 64% won t take a job from a a company that doesn t exhibit strong CSR. 88% say their job is more fulfilling when they re provided opportunities to make a positive impact on issues that matter to them. 83% would be more loyal to a company that exhibits strong CSR. 75% would take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company. *2017 Cone Communications CSR Study **2016 Cone Communications Millenial Employee Engagement Study 4

6 The evidence is clear. Most people want to support and work for companies who give back. Those feel-good fuzzies you get when you give are real. So, be bold. When your CEO takes pride in your company s United Way campaign, employees will take pride in the company. STEP IT UP SECRET #2: CORPORATE MATCH: Oh, the sweet power of a corporate match. If your company isn t already offering a match, encourage leadership to consider this simple way to boost morale, participation, and total giving. + YOUR DOLLAR THEIR DOLLAR DOUBLE THE IMPACT STEP IT UP SECRET #3: LEADERSHIP GIFTS: We truly believe in the power of community. Every gift matters. However, when it is within an individual s means to contribute at the leadership level ($1,000+), we hope they ll do so. If it s realistic in consideration with the wage range at your workplace, remind your co-workers that leadership giving may be more within reach than they might think. If you participate in payroll deduction, the breakdown looks like this: LEADERSHIP GIVING CALCULATOR: Pay Periods in a Year Minimum Contribution per Paycheck 24 $ $38.47 Some companies find it successful to reserve certain incentives exclusively for leadership givers. See page 3 for incentive suggestions. Leadership givers also receive public recognition in our annual report. 5

7 STEP 5: PLAN YOUR ACTIVITIES Start by inviting us to speak to your co-workers so we can share information about what it means to LIVE UNITED. We ll work with you to come up with the perfect game plan. We ll consider... Time: Only have 5 minutes to spare? That s fine. We can be brief. Group Size: 2 people? 200 people? We can do it all. Content: Stories and testimonials are especially moving. We can bring along guest speakers, show videos, or share the spotlight with any of your co-workers who may be willing to share their own accounts of United Way making an impact in their lives. Where and When: You may already have standard departmental meetings, safety meetings, or other prescheduled times when staff members gather. If you don t (or even if you do), consider planning an event with food or other festivities to lure folks in. EVENT IDEAS: Pancake breakfast Chili cook-off Taco feed Pie-eating contest Ice cream social Tailgate party in the parking lot Auction (silent or live) Used book sale (books donated by employees; proceeds to United Way) Car wash by manager Talent show Trivia contest Pumpkin carving contest Ping pong tournament Cornhole tournament Bocce ball game BINGO game 6

8 MAKING CHOICES: A UNITED WAY POVERTY SIMULATION FEATURING A.L.I.C.E. 2 in 5 households in Whatcom County struggle to make ends meet. ALICE refers to those who earn above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford housing, child care, food, transportation, and health care in our community. ALICE has to choose between food or electricity, diapers or medicine, and rent or childcare. ALICE has no savings. 39%* of local residents live at or below the ALICE threshold. Together, we support a network of programs that help move ALICE from poverty to possibility. Help your co-workers better understand ALICE and inspire them to LIVE UNITED by including our Making Choices poverty simulator as part of your activities. The simulation experience provides participants with a tangible and memorable example of the work that United Way fights for every day. Each participant is provided a worksheet and a roll of Smarties candies. The Smarties become credits that represent ALICE s budget. A faciliator then guides the participants through a scripted set of scenarios. Along the way, participants are asked to choose how to budget their credits. The choices aren t easy, but they are eye-opening. We can host Making Choices for you, or you can use our script to facilitate the activity yourself. Please allow minutes. *2018 UWPNW ALICE Report (2016 data) Find ALICE data online at UnitedWayALICE.org 7

9 STEP 6: SPREAD THE WORD You ve got a plan. Well done. Now, it s time to get the word out. PROVIDE VISUALS Contact us to make sure you have our latest materials. In addition to what we provide, create your own flyers to make sure your co-workers know about any of the activities you ve scheduled. logos SEND S Not everyone has work , but for those that do, can be particularly helpful in spreading the word quickly. Use s to: Announce your giving campaign Update staff on progress made towards your goal Remind others of upcoming activities/events Share facts and videos Example Announcement /Letter Dear [Employee Name], At [Company Name], we care. We care about our staff. We care about your families, your neighbors, and your friends. We believe Whatcom County should be a place where we don t just survive; we thrive. To put our money where our mouth is, we re making a gift to United Way of Whatcom County and are offering you the opportunity to do so as well. Join [Company Name] as we help United Way fight for the financial stability of every person in Whatcom County. By donating to United Way, we know our gift (and yours) will be used efficiently to provide basic needs, create opportunities for economic mobility, and help break the cycle of poverty. Upcoming United Way information sessions and events on site will take place as follows: [Event details] I hope you ll attend and will be inspired to join our effort to LIVE UNITED. With questions, please contact [Employee Campaign Coordinator details]. United we fight. United we win. [signature line] 8

10 CO-BRAND United Way of Whatcom County 1500 Cornwall Ave. Ste 203 Bellingham, WA Co-branding is a fun way to spread the word. Your staff will look good, and so will you. Hats. Shirts. Office supplies. The United Way Store has it all. Local UW # HELP OUR UNITED WAY EARN 10 % CASH BACK BY PURCHASING FROM THE UNITED WAY STORE Simply supply your Local United Way Org # when placing an order with United Way Store 3 EASY STEPS 1. Go shopping! Fill your cart with in-stock items or contact the Special Order Team. 2. Input the below ORG # at checkout or provide it to your Special Order team. 3. Help us earn 10% CASH BACK for our Local United Way. Local UW # Local United Way Org # BENEFITS OF ORDERING FROM UNITED WAY STORE United Way brand aligned products 100 s of items in-stock and ready to ship Low Price Guarantee Help earn Cash Back Rewards for OUR Local United Way to help communities Ability to special order your own co-branded items with your Corporate Logo along with the United Way Logo UnitedWayStore.com 9

11 START CONVERSATIONS In the age of technology, it s easy to forget how important face-to-face interactions are. Make the rounds. Talk to your co-workers individually. Tell them about the fun United Way activities you have planned. Explain why you are passionate about living United. Invite questions and share personal stories. UTILIZE OUR WEBSITE We ve changed recently. We ve got a new look and feel. We ve got a new focus. Take some time to familiarize yourself with our new brand. Our website is a great place to do that. We ve streamlined the information and made it more user-friendly. You ll find answers to lots of key questions like: What we do How we do it Where the money goes UnitedWayWhatcom.org STEP 7: ASK MAKING THE ASK Is this the part that makes you nervous? If it does, consider this: You ve prepared the perfect campaign, filled with CEO support, fun activities, inspiring testimonials, clear goals and incentives, and great co-branded swag. People are ready for the next step. They re ready to give. #1 Reason Repeatedly Cited as to Why Individuals Don t Give: I was never asked. So ask. Ask for first-time gifts. Ask for small gifts. Big gifts. And repeat gifts. Just ask. HOW TO GIVE Giving should be easy. In addition to good ol fashioned paper pledge forms, we d be happy to set up an online giving portal, complete with your own welcome message and company logo. To set up your online giving portal or get a fresh stack of paper forms, simply give us a call: (360)

12 STEP 8: THANK, INFORM, AND CELEBRATE It might seem obvious, but it s easy to forget. People who are thanked feel appreciated and are more likely to give again. Say Thanks : Individually and to groups In-person Via With a handwritten card Short on time? Use our template to make saying thanks a snap. Make Your Thank You Informative: Share outcomes on company-wide giving goals Tie to impact, using tools like our: Online impact calculator Annual report Our Work section of our website Link to our website and Facebook page Celebrate: Follow-through on any promised incentives Join us in March for our campaign celebration STEP 9: WRAP IT UP Make sure all donation forms are turned in. Check forms to make sure they are completely filled out. Schedule a brief wrap-up meeting with your United Way representative. Make copies of all payroll deduction forms for your HR department. Originals go to United Way. Complete your Campaign Report Sheet (update contact info, employee count, and dollar amounts) Provide feedback (We ll you a survey!) Announce results and thank everyone (donors, planning committee, and leadership) You did it! Thank YOU! 11

13 STEP 10: STAY IN TOUCH EVENTS Come celebrate the start and end of our primary workplace fundraising season with us: SEPT. Campaign Kick-Off Luncheon MARCH Campaign Celebration MAY Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive We proudly sponsor the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive the second Saturday of May each year. JULY Project Homeless Connect We are the fiscal sponsor for this annual July event that helps connect people experiencing homelessness with important services. Additional events take place throughout the year for specific groups, such as our Alumni Group, made up of past loaned executives. If you re interested starting a United Way affinity group, contact us. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES APRIL - MAY Fund Distribution Committee We believe decisions for our community should be made by our community. Our fund allocation process is entirely driven by local volunteers. Contact us to learn more. We have big dreams of expanding our volunteer opportunities in the future. Stay tuned. SHARE THE LOVE ANYTIME Got enough stuff? Instead of asking for gifts this holiday season or for your birthday, ask friends and family members to make a gift to United Way in your honor. They can let you know they did via our online donation form, fully equipped with the option for a personal message to the honoree. Spring cleaning? Send gently used treasures to Mighty Good Things Foundation. They ll sell them and send us the cash. MightyGoodThings.org 12