8 Best Practices

8 Best Practices

Running a successful Campaign can seem challenging, but through the years, we have learned what works and what doesn’t. Coordinators that follow these best practices tend to reach, and even surpass, their goals.

1. Involve Your CEO or Senior Manager to Create Visibility

  • Emails, Intranet videos or voicemails from management help set the tone of the Campaign.
  • See sample letters and emails.
  • Invite them to speak at major Campaign events such as the kickoff, a Leadership Giving event, and a closing thank-you event.

2. Build a Strong, Diverse Campaign Team to Generate Excitement

  • Form a Campaign team with representatives from throughout your organization by department or location.
  • Train your team so they can educate co-workers, answer questions, and plan events.

3. Set Clear Goals, Track and Report Results

  • Look at last year’s results, then set new goals based on where you can make the greatest improvement, such as number of employees giving, average gift, and number of Leadership contributors (gifts of $1,000 or more).

4. Encourage Your Company to Make a Financial Commitment

  • A corporate gift to United Way is an excellent way to make a large impact in our community and help the 1 in 5 families struggling to make ends meet.
  • Establish a company gift-matching program to inspire employees to give. Your United Way representative can help.

5. Target Your Leadership Givers of $1,000 or More

  • Plan special events for prospective Leadership Givers. For example, a pacesetter event prior to kickoff helps set the tone for your Campaign while recognizing those who give more.
  • Promote membership in United Way’s Emerging Leaders Society for young professionals who give $1,000 or more. Learn more at www.uwba.org/el.
  • Promote membership in United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council for women who give $1,000 or more. Learn more.
  • Provide exposure to your organization and your largest givers at the national level. Gifts of $10,000 or more qualify for membership into United Way’s Tocqueville Society. Learn more at www.liveunited.org/tocqueville.

6. Inspire Your Colleagues

  • Sign up for United Way’s volunteer events such as Week of Caring and our Quarterly Volunteer Initiatives. We match thousands of volunteers with projects benefiting more than 100 local nonprofits.
  • Share success stories about Bay Area residents who have been helped by United Way programs.
  • Invite a guest speaker from our Speaker’s Bureau.
  • Distribute Campaign materials and encourage employees to learn more about United Way’s commitment to cutting Bay Area poverty in half by 2020.

7. Make The Ask and Collect Contributions

  • Use forms/ePledge.
  • The best asks are personal. Try to set up events or one-on-one meetings with your colleagues, especially current or prospective Leadership Givers.

8. Say Thank You and Provide Opportunities for Year-Round Engagement

  • Send a message from you and your CEO to every employee that includes campaign results.
  • Send personal thank-you emails or letters to everyone who gave, and ensure United Way is able thank donors as well. See sample letters.