...a successful campaign

Begin setting your company's objectives by carefully reviewing past campaign objectives. Here's an easy way to analyze your company's previous campaign performance:

Last year's employee donations / number of employees = per capita gift
Last year's employee donations / number of givers = average gift

Talk with the previous year's campaign coordinator, consider some of these questions

• Was your campaign fun and informative?
• In what areas/departments did your campaign work well?
• What are your most likely areas of improvement?
• How can you get more people to give, or encourage those who give to increase their gift?
• Are you reaching all possible givers? Consider part-time/contract employees and/or retirees. How can we make our campaign more fun and/or informative?

HELPFUL HINTS
Your business is successful because you plan your objectives. Simple planning of your United Way campaign insures success. Call your United Way staff person for help.

2.  Secure the support of top management

Enlist the CEO's visible and personal support to ensure your campaign is a success. This can include:

• Touring a United Way agency to personally observe the benefits of United Way services.
• Being involved in setting the company goal and supporting payroll deduction at the Suggested Giving Guide levels.
• Making a meaningful personal contribution and helping solicit top management (see Leadership Giving section).
• Allowing the necessary time to plan and run a campaign.
• Writing a personal letter to employees (see sample letters in the Communications section) and speaking at a rally.

Your campaign team will help spread enthusiasm and information about United Way and your company campaign. Team size depends on your company's size and the number of locations you have. Even if your organization is small, get help with your campaign.

People you may wish to recruit:

• Employee newsletter editor, PR/communications coordinator
• Enthusiastic members of last year's team
• Employees who have benefited from or volunteered at a United Way agency
• Representatives from each department
• Human resources or payroll department representative
• Labor leaders (if appropriate)

HELPFUL HINTS
Try to include the informal leaders of your company. These people already have the respect and trust of their co-workers and will be influential when it counts.

4.  Give'em the how to's and take advantage of training

United Way offers professionally developed training for you and your team! Even if you have attended training in the past, we encourage you to attend again this year. Many new features and workshops will help you with ideas and hints for a successful campaign.

Schedule a training session for your campaign solicitation team. A United Way staff member will be happy to conduct a brief (45-60 minute) training workshop at your place of business. These sessions help your team members:

• Learn more about United Way, its agencies and how they benefit the community
• Develop a creative campaign plan
• Answer questions from potential donors
• Become comfortable in asking for donations
• Learn ways to encourage gifts at the Suggested Guide for Giving

5.  Set your campaign goal

Strategic Goal Setting

Your goal is important because it helps you maximize the amount of money you collect. Start by analyzing your campaign potential. What is potential? Potential is the amount of money your organization would raise if all employees gave at the minimum suggested level. Use this easy method to calculate your potential.

Gross payroll x .006 (minimum suggested guide for giving level) = potential

Potential - last year's employee donations = unrealized potential

Last year's employee donations /potential = last year's percent of potential

Now, look at your figures from Step 1 and Step 5. Discuss options with your chief executive and your campaign team, considering:

• If you had a series of good campaigns with high participation and average gifts, consider setting your goal by increasing your percentage of potential. Emphasizing the Suggested Guide For Giving will help you get there.
• If average gifts are high, but participation is low, move toward potential by targeting a higher participation rate. Stress employee education about United Way and its agencies to encourage more people to contribute.
• If participation is good, but average gifts are low, move toward potential by targeting a higher average gift. Again, emphasizing the Suggested Guide For Giving will give you increased results.
• Consider a Leadership Giving program for your organization's higher compensated employees. See the Leadership Giving section in your Campaign Kit for more information.

Incorporate your company's goal into your campaign information and publicity. Many companies like to use United Way goal posters placed in several prominent locations throughout the workplace.

If you have any questions about your goal setting process, contact your United Way representative at 232-1389. We'll be glad to help you!

6.  Use United Way's campaign resources

Campaign Services

The most important thing you can do to increase campaign results is educate your employees about how United Way and its agencies benefit our community. United Way's staff can help you schedule speakers, films and tours for your company activities. These are proven ingredients for a successful campaign.

Campaign Materials

United Way will provide the materials you need to have a successful campaign. You will receive a package of supplies (including educational materials) from your volunteer or United Way staff representative.

Additional brochures, posters, banners, tabletop displays and more are yours for the asking. Please help us keep our fundraising costs low by returning banners and displays when you are finished.

7.  Spread the news!

Your campaign success is directly related to the involvement you generate from your fellow employees. So start spreadin' the news! Use the Case for Giving, Success Stories, How You Help and Downloads Sections to help communicate the United Way story.

Sample letters: Sample letters from your CEO, thank you letters, retiree and labor letters are included in the Communications section.

Naturally, you will want to involve your company communications specialist in your efforts. Also remember to use all members of your team to spread the word.

8.  It's campaign time!

It's finally here. You've done the advance work and now it's time to implement your campaign. The main focus on your campaign will be your campaign rally. This can be as elaborate as a chili cook off for hundreds, or a simple morning meeting with coffee and donuts for a few.

The rally or group meeting for employees is at the heart of an effective employee campaign effort. It is your primary opportunity to tell the United Way story to your fellow employees. Keep the tone lively, brief and informative.

Here is a suggested agenda that takes just 30 minutes!

Soliciting Pledges - Solicit every employee using either group or individual (one-on-one) solicitation and encouraging payroll deduction gifts at the Suggested Giving Guide level. Remember, people give to people, so don't overlook this critical step!

Group Solicitation - As employees enter the rally or meeting, distribute personalized pledge cards with a copy of the campaign brochure. Emphasize the importance of the contributor's signature on the pledge card for payroll deductions. Employees should turn them in before the end of the rally.

Follow-up With Everyone! Following your employee rally, individuals on your campaign team (canvassers) visit fellow employees with a one-on-one contact to secure a pledge from each person. Once again, be sure to follow-up with employees who are out or away from their office. Thank everyone, even if they choose not to give.

Retiree Solicitation - In most cases, companies send retirees a letter of solicitation from a respected retiree along with a pledge card and return envelope. Letters should stress the importance of retirees to your company, as well as to the needs of the community and the success of the United Way campaign. You'll also find a sample letter in the Communications section of this kit.

New Hire Solicitation - As new employees are added to your staff, this is the perfect opportunity to give them the option to participate in your United Way Campaign.

9.  Report the Results

The wrap up of the campaign is just as crucial as any other aspect. It is very important that you account for all pledge cards. Please return the United Way copy of all pledge cards in the report envelopes that were provided to you. Follow these steps in completing your report:

1. Verify that each pledge card has a dollar amount indicated for the donation (i.e. please translate percentage payroll contributions into dollar amounts). Then, separate the cards, cash and checks (staple cash amounts or checks to their respective pledge cards)
2. Place all cash and checks, along with their respective pledge cards, into the envelope. Fill out the amount of cash and checks along with the number of givers for each of the categories on the outside of the envelope. Special event money should also be placed in this envelope, please note this amount on the envelope.
3. Next, count and total all remaining pledge cards by payment type and fill in the corresponding sections on your envelope.
4. Finally, place the remaining pledge cards, sorted by payment type, into the campaign envelope.
5. Now you are ready to turn in your campaign results. Call 232-1389 for your United Way representative to arrange for pick-up. DO NOT MAIL THE REPORT PACKAGE (OR ANY PART OF IT)!

Remember, enclosing the United Way copy of each pledge card is critical for:

• Accurately processing results
• Effectively honoring designations
• Acknowledging Leadership Givers

10.  Say "Thanks!"

"Thank you". These two simple words not only show appreciation, but set a positive tone for year-round communications and next year's campaign. Here are some ideas that will help you conclude your successful campaign.

• Announce company and community campaign results.
• Send a thank you note to each company contributor. Note cards are provided by United Way.
• Write a thank you editorial in your company newsletter.
• Sponsor a "Thank You" breakfast, luncheon or reception for your contributors or campaign team. This can be as simple as coffee and donuts or cake and punch.
• Distribute thank you awards, mugs, pens, buttons, etc. to campaign team and/or contributors.
• Survey your employees for feedback, ideas.

Keep a notebook or file of your plans for next year. You or your successor will be glad you did! Be sure to enter campaign and communications awards competitions.

Check to see if your company qualifies for a campaign recognition award. Display your award prominently at your company.