United Way Workplace Campaign

What is a Workplace Campaign? 

Without a doubt, the workplace campaign is the most high-profile United Way fundraising activity across the world, representing a significant portion of the funds we gather to invest in changing community conditions. Workplace giving is an easy and effective way to help employees make a difference and show them that their workplace is actively supporting the local community’s most important issues. Employees of a company are given an opportunity to support United Way by donating a portion of their paycheck. In many cases, the donations from employees are pre-tax pay, and many companies match their employees’ donations, which makes their charitable contributions go further. Whether you're a small business, major corporation, or even a nonprofit, you can join the thousands of local businesses and organizations that run workplace campaigns each year.

The value of giving

It makes a difference. Employees are making an investment that benefits the entire community, not just one program, issue, or population, and this leads to a stronger, more sustainable place to live and work. United Way provides expert management of donor investments and brings the right people, ideas, and resources together to solve the most pressing needs of the community and finds innovative solutions for lasting change. United Way leverages the contributions by combining it with others and strategically investing in results-driven programs and initiatives to maximize the impact we have in the community. Spreading giving throughout the year via employee payroll deduction or mobile giving makes it easier to increase someone’s donations while still staying within their personal budget.

Benefits of a Workplace Campaign 

More and more, employees and customers are attracted to companies that are committed to the community and create opportunities for them to connect with the causes they care about most. Employee campaigns are a great opportunity to engage employees, build a spirit of teamwork, and increase morale all while making an impact on the community.

Benefits to Employees

  • Education: Campaign information about charitable organizations expands employees’ knowledge about their community. 
  • Enhanced Employee Relations: Running a campaign provides a way for employees to improve their community. Also, participation in a campaign committee or events can help develop teambuilding skills and boost morale as employees learn to set goals, work together, and achieve positive results. 
  • Investment: Companies and their employees may be able to receive tax deductions and/or credits from charitable giving as well as enjoy the ease and convenience of payroll deduction. 
  • Satisfaction: Allowing employees to donate to an organization that addresses issues that are important to them provides greater employee satisfaction. For example, United Way provides many choices to employees through education, financial stability, and health areas included on pledge forms as well as a variety of special local United Way community initiatives.
  • Workforce Development: Running a campaign provides leadership opportunities for the campaign, committee, or event leaders as well as those aligned with affinity groups that empower employees to create new strategies to reach their networks. 

Benefits to Company 

  • Community Leadership: Creates a bond of interest between employer and employee; each knowing the other is working for the community’s best interest. Companies prosper in healthy communities and tend to stay and increase their employee base. Companies outside the area are more likely to invest in communities with a well-educated workforce, attractive and safe neighborhoods, a strong educational system, and social services that address and reduce health and human service needs. 
  • Corporate Recognition: Campaigns demonstrate to employees, customers, and the public at large that community service, impact, and leadership are a company priority. Companies that participate in campaigns are often recognized in events, media, marketing materials, and other platforms. Companies receive third-party recognition from United Way and other nonprofits and can also use campaign participation and results in their own internal and external communications such as websites, press releases, and annual reports. 
  • Easy Administration: Workplace campaigns are efficient and easy to administer. Payroll deduction is easy for employees and spreads giving throughout the year producing larger employee gifts. 
  • Improved Customer Relations and Loyalty: Market research shows that customers are more likely to purchase goods and services from companies that support their local community. Supporting nonprofit organizations and the community through the campaign shows that a company provides more than a product or service — it provides support for the local community as well — creating good community relations.

Benefits to Community 

  • Education: In many cases, employees (and their friends and families) are unaware of the programs area organizations provide. Running a campaign provides an easy way to bring the community together, convey educational messages and expose employees to resources they may have never known about. 
  • Expanded Outreach: The workplace provides new and expanded avenues for community outreach, making it easier for more employees to give and take an active part in vital community service activities. 
  • Increased Partnership: Employee campaigns encourage cooperation and collaboration among charitable organizations, as well as between companies and nonprofits. These partnerships help reduce duplication and build more meaningful community coalitions. 
  • Delivering Impact/ Getting Results: Funds raised during workplace campaigns go directly back to the community to improve lives.
  • Service: Your employees will be able to tap into a wealth of year-round opportunities through our Corporate Volunteer Opportunities that benefit the community directly.

Advantages of Payroll Deduction

  • It is the easiest method available to help meet the needs in our area. People often find it easier to contribute a small amount each pay period than to contribute the same sum of money all at once.
  • Eliminates the annoyance of multiple drives throughout the year by grouping many worthwhile agency appeals and services into one annual pledge.
  • Allows an employee to contributions without facing a sudden substantial drain of cash.
  • Increases employee morale by creating a feeling of teamwork between employees and their employers.
  • Provides for an automatic cut-off of deductions when paychecks are not received.

How do I start a workplace campaign?

United Way of Greater Mercer County will partner with you to develop a customized workplace campaign that aligns with your corporate values, as well as the interests of your employees. We will provide guidance and support to assist you in building your fundraising team and running an effective campaign.
 
To start, check out our Campaign Toolkit and Campaign Best Practices Guide tabs which are loaded with information and resources to help you run a successful workplace campaign.

More Information

If you would like to learn more about starting a workplace campaign in your company or organization, or need assistance running your campaign, please contact John Santana, Director of Strategic Partnerships at (609) 896-1912 x4918 or john.santana@uwgmc.org.

 

 

 

If you are organizing a workplace campaign these tools and resources are valuable in helping you build and plan your United Way campaign.

Campaign Management Tools

Engage Employees During Your Campaign

Resources for your Employees

More Information

If you still have questions about the campaign process,  please contact John Santana at (609) 896-1912 ext 4918 or john.santana@uwgmc.org.

For questions about our corporate volunteer opportunities, please contact Denise Daniels at 609-896-1912 ext 4903 or denise.daniels@uwgmc.org 

 

 

 

Tips and techniques to make your campaign stand out 

We’ve got the tools to help you make your United Way campaign stand out. Check out best practices proven to engage, excite, and ultimately unite your people.

 

The end goal? Heightened levels of contribution dollars and participation. Use these established strategies to get the job done. In the end, they could help you stand out among your United Way Employee Campaign Chair (ECC) peers! 

Recruit a Team

Don’t run your campaign alone. Recruit a committee of enthusiastic, resourceful, and committed employees to help you plan the best possible campaign. 

  • Involve representatives from various departments/shifts in your organization. Diversity is important, so invite individuals from groups such as marketing, human resources, accounting, and more.
  • Set up regular committee meetings and delegate responsibilities. You can ensure campaign success by creating roles such as department liaison and payroll contact, and areas of focus such as marketing/events and campaign communications, for committee members.

Lock Down the Logistics

It’s all about timing—take it from us.

  • The most effective campaigns have proven to be short and sweet, so design yours with that in mind. Kick it off and wrap it up within 2 weeks.
  • Plan ahead. It’s important to launch the campaign with a clear kickoff and wrap it up ceremoniously. These are key elements to take into consideration when establishing timing upfront.
  • Set goals. United Way will help you determine the numbers. Once they are set, make sure your colleagues know what they’re working toward.

Rally the Troops

Bring people together to not only Give but to Volunteer as well. It’s all part of Living United.

  • Host a kickoff event. Educational meetings and events throughout your campaign get employees together— plus, they offer an element of fun and help drive engagement. It’s an opportunity to learn more about community needs and find out how to get involved. Ensure events offer employees a variety of ways to learn and understand what their contribution to the United Way of Greater Mercer County will help accomplish.
  • Promote volunteer projects. United Way of Greater Mercer County offers a variety of group volunteer opportunities promoting team building. Reach out to your United Way contact for details you can share within your organization.
  • Create a competition between departments.
  • Facilitate a leadership meeting. Set a meeting designed to educate a unique segment of past contributors— those who have donated at a specific level (for example, $500 or more)—about the benefits of giving at the Leadership Giver level ($1,000+ annually).

Promote Your Campaign

Campaigns with great visibility encourage everyone to get involved. Here are a few ways to mix your communications up and get them the visibility they deserve.

  • Employ regular, consistent communication. Launch your campaign with creative kickoff communications— then, communicate along the way to maintain excitement and engagement.
  • Use a mixed media approach.
    • Email your intranet, personalized letters, pay stub inserts and United Way of Greater Mercer County’s website are all valuable elements you can use to promote your campaign.
    • Hang posters and flyers in prominent places like lobbies, kitchens/lounges, and elevators to announce your Charitable Campaign dates and important information.
  • Increase employee awareness by creating competition between departments and/or using various events.
    • Payroll stuffers
    • Frequent updates on the progress of the campaign
    • Children’s art contest with a United Way theme
    • Brochures
    • Fliers about incentive items
    • Articles in the company’s newsletter, if applicable
    • Voice and email messages
    • Display campaign thermometers and posters, at building entrances, in break rooms, and other common areas
    • Decorate break rooms and other common areas with United Way Information

Strategies to Increase Participation

  • Hold a drawing at the end of each employee meeting for all who turn in a pledge form
  • Give everyone who turns in a pledge form at ticket [or several tickets]. When the campaign is complete, have a drawing for incentives, or have daily drawings that include only those who have already submitted their pledge form.
  • If you make the company goal, throw a party.

Strategies to Increase the Average Gift

  • Give the employees extra time off for increasing their gift by 10%.
  • Hold a leadership giving campaign
  • Establish a company leadership level and recognize accordingly.
  • Ask the employees to give $1.00 more a week.

Incentives (You will need to ask your manager about these)

  • Time off work
  • Extra PTO time
  • Casual Day/Jean Day
  • Reserved/covered parking
  • “Sleep-in” passes
  • Extra half hour for lunch for a week

Don't Reinvent the Wheel!

Visit our Campaign Toolkit to find existing promotional and campaign materials like brochures, posters, pledge forms, videos, and more.

Wrap Things Up

Clearly signify that the campaign is officially a wrap and, while you’re at it, make sure your colleagues receive proper thanks. 

  • Report Results. Publicize your campaign’s end date and ensure all pledge forms are turned in by the deadline (remind donors to keep their copy of their pledge for tax purposes).
    • For paper pledge/donation forms- place the donations and forms in an envelope [can be provided by United Way of Greater Mercer County’s office] In preparation for delivery or pickup:
      • Include the original copy of pledge forms and all cash and checks from one-time gifts and special events.
      • Sign the envelope verifying the amount of cash and/or checks enclosed.

      • Submit all final results to United Way of Greater Mercer County within two weeks of your campaign’s close, allowing United Way to process donations and thank your employees in a timely manner.

    • For online pledge/donation forms 
      • Gather all the online pledge information you have received [your designated point of contact will receive copies of all online pledges/donations made through the designated portal]. 
      • United Way of Greater Mercer County will provide a report of all the online pledge information you have received [to be provided to your Human Resources/Payroll department or your designated point of contact] within one week of your campaign’s close, for you to process payroll deductions as needed. 
  • Don’t forget to say thanks. Ensuring your employees have a positive experience is critical to reinforcing your appreciation and creating consistent donors. And, be timely with your thank-you efforts. Thank donors, employees, and your campaign team in a well-timed fashion at the end of the campaign.
  • Recognize specific contributions. Thank contributors for participating in the campaign with incentives such as prize drawings, a thank-you luncheon, or personal letters.
  • Stay in touch with United Way. Your United Way of Greater Mercer County contact is available year-round. Arrange quarterly face-to-face meetings to keep them up to date on what’s going on at your company and to learn how your organization’s support of United Way makes Mercer County great.

Quick Links

More Information

If you still have questions about the campaign process,  please contact John Santana at (609) 896-1912 ext 4918 or john.santana@uwgmc.org.

For questions about our corporate volunteer opportunities, please contact Denise Daniels at 609-896-1919 ext 4903 or denise.daniels@uwgmc.org

United Way of Greater Mercer County is incredibly grateful to the companies and their employees listed below for their generosity and dedication to improving Mercer County.  Through a workplace campaign, they lead the way to build a stronger, thriving community – particularly for struggling families.

A-G

  • AAA Mid-Atlantic
  • Abbott
  • Aqua America
  • AT&T
  • Bank of America 
  • Best Buy 
  • Blank Rome LLP
  • BMS
  • CB&I
  • Child Care Connection 
  • Comcast/NBC Universal 
  • CostCo
  • Deloitte  
  • Enterprise  
  • Educational Testing Service (ETS)
  • FedEx
  • Ford
  • Fulton Bank
  • GE 
  • Geico
  • Glenmede

H-N

  • High Hotels
  • Holman Auto
  • Horizon NJ Health
  • ITW
  • Janssen
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • JCPenny 
  • Johnson Controls
  • Keurig-Dr. Pepper 
  • Livent (formerly FMC Ag)
  • Lowes
  • Macy's
  • McCaster-Carr
  • Morgan Lewis
  • NEC Laboratories
  • NJEA
  • NJECC (NJ Employee Charitable Campaign)

O-T

  • PerformCare
  • PetSmart
  • Pfizer
  • PNC
  • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)
  • Princeton University
  • Raymond James
  • Rue Insurance
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • SP.Richards
  • Stop & Shop
  • Target
  • TD Bank
  • TJX (TJMaxx, Marshalls, Home Goods & HomeSense)

U-Z

  • UPS  
  • Walmart
  • Ware Malcomb
  • Wegmans
  • Wells Fargo
  • Williams