Campaign Best Practices Guide

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOUR CAMPAIGN STAND OUT

Recruit a Team

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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!

Wrap Things Up

• 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 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

• 2020 United Way Campaign Toolkit 
• Fun Activities for Workplace Campaigns
• Corporate Engagement Calendar