Campaign Volunteer Training Materials

So You Get to run the United Way Campaign

LET UNITED WAY STAFF & VOLUNTEERS HELP...
HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS TO GET YOU STARTED

Don’t do it alone. There is safety in numbers.
Form a Campaign Committee . . . .BRAINSTORM

Get a THEME. Carry your theme to special events, activities, printed materials and other support items.

Keep it FUN to draw the people in. Keep it INFORMATIVE. An informed donor is a generous donor.

COMMUNICATE. It’s no fun to throw a party and not have anyone come

Say THANK YOU. Say thanks throughout campaign and at the end to all volunteers and donors

THEMES AND IDEAS

Competition

• Have departments/buildings/branches compete for various things…

First to have all pledge cards turned-in
Best internal fundraiser
First to reach goal

• Basketball Shootout – Teams/departments pick a “shooter”. Each shooter gets to take a shot for every dollar donated to him/her. The more shots taken, the better the chance for having most total baskets. Department with highest total basket “wins”. All proceeds go to United Way.
• Office Olympics. Set up an obstacle course in the lunchroom, several offices, several floors of offices or outside. One station can be for word processing, one station for filing, another for photocopying, etc. The contestants pay an entry fee or a department could select team representative.
• Food – Cook Off for best chili, pizza, spaghetti, pies, cookies, cakes, etc. Charge entry fee. Winner can be determined by money raised – employees vote for best by donating. Or, winner determined by panel of judges then sell leftovers.
• “American Idol” contest using a karaoke machine and the person who gets the most money in their jar wins.
• NFL-Colts Football Theme – have the employees wear their Colts gear and have a tailgate party.

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Dress-up Themes

• Would you like to stay in your pajamas all day? Have an extra casual day(s)? Employees “earn” the privilege of dressing-up, (down) by donating or buying a button that says why they are dressed-up. Other ideas include -:

50’s – Sock Hop
60’s – Hippies
70’s – Disco
School Days – Wear your old letter sweater
Wild West
Halloween
Play Day – Wear your favorite “play” clothes
Wacky & Tacky

• Hold contests for the “ugliest”. Employees vote on the “ugliest” with donations. Ideas for “ugliest” – tie, tropical shirt, earrings, scarf, shoes, pin, hat, hard hat, etc.

Get the Boss

• Everyone likes to see the “boss” get picked on. (And it is a great way for the ‘boss” to show his/her dedication to United Way) The “boss” could be anyone from the CEO to a shift supervisor. Some ways the “boss” is selected to reap his/her “rewards” are:

- employees vote with their donations – For example, Kiss a Pig Contest, each supervisor gets a “piggy bank”. Whoever gets the most money in their piggy bank has to kiss a pig.

- Supervisor(s) raffle their services for donations. Supervisor(s) could raffle off their prime parking spaces. Supervisor(s) could offer to wash cars, clean a house, cook dinner, deliver morning newspaper and coffee, take employee out to lunch, etc.

- “Bosses” have been known to do almost anything to reach a goal. These are just a few of the embarrassments “bosses” have been known to endure when the campaign goal was surpassed. Take a pie in the face, dunk tanks, serve lunch, kiss a pig, dye their hair green, dress-up in silly outfit, give-up parking space, work an hour in each department, etc.

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Raffles and Silent Auctions

• Raffles and silent auctions are great ways to raise extra funds for the United Way. The raffle could be a simple 50/50 drawing or special items or services could be raffled off.
  
• Ask employees to donate handmade crafts to raffle off or put in a silent auction. Someone might be willing to raffle a service – such as four hours of babysitting or lawn mowing.
  
• Vendors who do business with company may be willing to donate tickets or special items for a silent auction.
  
• Prime parking spaces have always been successful items.
  
• Company could raffle off vacation days.

Food

• Feed them and they will come.
  
• Food is always enticing. Offer lunch specials with all proceeds going to the United Way. This has been done with everything from rib steaks on a grill to hot dogs, to build your own tacos.
  
• Bake sales
  
• Departments that reach goal get pizza lunch.
  
• When pledge card is turned in donor gets a candy bar.
  
• Have snacks at campaign meetings.
  
• Special meal at conclusion of campaign.
  
• Kick off breakfast meeting.

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Thought Starters

• Here are a few quick ideas to get you started.
  
• Olympics – Departments win gold, silver or bronze awards depending how close they come to the goal
  
• Car Rally – Each department has a race car and team colors.
  
• “Mission Possible” - Your mission, if you decide to accept it is to....
  
• Scavenger Hunt – Employees must find United Way related clues.
  
• Drawing contest – Have children of employees make United Way posters
  
• Chip In to Help – Animal Science department had a cow chip throwing contest
  
• Some companies reward donors with a day off with pay if they donate at a certain level.

Inform

• Invite agency speakers in for campaign meetings.
  
• Have employees take agency tours.
  
• Have a reverse tour – invite children or Senior Citizens from a local United Way agency in for a tour of your business.
  
• Have each department represent a specific agency/program area of service, have department make short presentation on what they found out.

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Communicate/Publicize

• Send messages on e-mail or in-house computer system.
  
• Publish articles in the employee newsletter.
  
• Post information in company bulletin boards
  
• Distribute payroll “stuffers"
  
• Publish a calendar of campaign events
  
• Post United Way posters, banners and thermometers in heavy traffic areas.
  
• Announce information on the loudspeaker.
  
• Send memos or letters from the CEO to all employees
  
• Decorate the elevators, stairwells, and inside of restroom stalls doors.
  
• Ask department heads to talk about the campaign at staff and safety meetings
  
• “Messages from the Heart” - Create a booklet to distribute with employee pledge cards. Feature stories and quotes from employees whose lives have been touched by United Way and/or believe in the United Way. Try to represent all levels of the company.
  

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THANK-YOU’S

• Begin the campaign by thanking last year’s donors and campaign volunteers.
  
• Thank volunteers throughout campaign.
  
• Thank donors promptly.
  
• Hand-shaking tour – Have CEO take walk through plant to shake hands with donors.
  
• Special recognition lunch at the end of the campaign for all volunteers.
  
• Develop a bulletin board or freestanding display with photos and mementos of employees’ year-round United Way activities
  
• Publish a report in the company publication with expression of appreciation from the boss, an agency representative or United Way contact who was involved. List key workers and volunteers.
  
• Display United Way Thank You posters
  
• Thank campaign volunteers by holding a special coffee break. Each solicitor receives a special coffee mug and words of thanks from the CEO and coordinator.

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