How To Run a Successful Campaign
1. Set Objectives
Take a close look at prior campaign results and talk with previous campaign coordinators. Consider areas for improvement.
- How can you get more people to give, or encourage those who give to increase their gift?
- What departments or areas of your organization usually give the most and why?
- What opportunities exist in the areas of increased giving, publicity, etc.?
- Are you reaching all possible givers?
2. Get the Boss's Support
Enlist your senior management's visible and personal support to ensure your campaign is a success. This can include:
- Providing time and resources for planning meetings, agency tours, and employee rallies.
- Supporting employee solicitation by encouraging payroll deduction and speaking at your kick-off event.
- Ask senior management to make a personal contribution and help solicit top management.
- Involve management in setting the company goal.
- Ask management to write a personal letter to the employees.
- Encourage new employees to sign up through payroll deduction when they are hired.
3. Recruit Your Campaign Team
Your campaign team can help spread enthusiasm and information about United Way and your company campaign. Get help in soliciting pledges and calculating results. Include the leaders of your organization who have the respect and admiration of co-workers and who will be influential when it counts. You may want to include:
- Respected employees who believe in United Way.
- Editor of the employee newsletter.
- A member of your payroll or human resources staff.
- Employees who have benefited from agencies supported by the United Way.
- Labor leaders (if appropriate).
- Employees who have volunteer experience at United Way agencies.
4. Set Your Goal
Your goal helps you to maximize the amount of money you collect. Set a goal that is slightly more than you think you can raise. This causes you to stretch and improve your employee campaign. Once you have a goal that you, senior management and your campaign team agree on, be sure to communicate it to your organization's employees.
5. Promote Your Campaign
- Have a kick-off event.
- Conduct special events (raffle drawings, contests and department competitions).
- Include an article in your employee publication.
- Use promotional materials (campaign video, goal posters, banners).
6. Use United Way Resources
- Campaign Materials: United Way will provide you with pledge cards and brochures for each employee. Banners, contributor pins or stickers, and support materials are available upon request.
- Agency Tours: Visit a member agency with your planning team or employees to build knowledge and enthusiasm. Share this experience at your kick-off event.
- Speakers: Invite a speaker from a United Way agency to your kick-off event.
7. Hold Your Kick-Off Event
- The event should be informative, positive and upbeat.
- Invite senior management and/or union leadership to speak in support of the United Way.
- Show the United Way campaign video.
- Have a question and answer session.
- Solicit every employee. Remember to follow up with each employee after the kick-off to answer questions and get their pledge card.
8. Report Results to the United Way Office
The wrap-up of the campaign is extremely important. After you have collected the pledge cards, you will need to tabulate results. Begin by calculating the annual gift from each employee. Next, separate the cards into two categories:
- Payroll deduction
- Fully paid gifts (cash or check)
Finally, count and total the cards in each category and complete the supplied report envelope. Give a copy of the payroll deduction pledge cards to your payroll or human resources department. They will set up the payroll deduction and keep the signed pledge cards as authorization to withhold from the employee's check.
9. Say "Thank You"
Let your fellow employees know how much was raised and the impact it will have on our community. Ask your employee newsletter to do a wrap-up story. Thank your campaign team and contributing employees and report the final results to your senior management.