YOUR CAMPAIGN CHECKLIST
Step One: Mark your calendars! Choose your campaign's start and end dates to kick off an exciting journey towards your goal. It's time to rally your team, ignite the spark of giving, and make a meaningful impact. Let's set the dates and make magic happen!
Step Two: Team up for success! One person can't do it alone - build your dream team and win the campaign game. Plus, with companywide representation, the excitement and participation will soar to new heights!
Step Three: Unlock the power of strategy! Partner up with your United Way representative to create a winning game plan that includes a Leadership Giving campaign. Not sure who your United Way representative is? Reach out to Elizabeth Manning at 845-471-1900 ext. 3116 or emanning@uwdor.org.
Step Four: Ready, set, goal! Define your campaign objective - whether it's a fundraising target or participation rate - and get top-level management on board. A shared goal unites your team towards a common purpose.
Step Five: Take your campaign virtual! Plan engaging online events and schedule regular communication to keep your team in the loop.
YOUR CAMPAIGN TIMELINE:
- Enlist your CEO or senior manager to champion the campaign and spread the word
- Identify the staff requirements for key campaign positions, including campaign chair(s), leadership employee campaign manager, communication manager, and HR/payroll representative
- Recruit and confirm your campaign committee, and determine their agenda and training
- Connect with your United Way relationship manager(s) to review last year's strategy and results, choose campaign dates, plan volunteer projects, and review electronic campaign requirements, including e-pledge and promotional materials
- Develop a comprehensive plan to organize and communicate with employees
- Discuss campaign tactics and timing, explain the leadership campaign strategy, and leadership giving societies
- Plan and schedule a separate event to kickoff your leadership campaign
- Request campaign materials (pledge forms, brochures, posters, etc) from your United Way Representative
- Hold your first campaign committee meeting to set goals and align on the action plan
- Ask your United Way Representative to speak at virtual or in-person meetings
- Connect with HR to establish a plan to solicit retirees and expand your reach
- Provide employee names and contact information to your United Way Representative to personalize pledging
- Share sample landing page language for your e-pledge to ensure consistent messaging and to make your campaign more compelling
- Provide your organization's logo to personalize campaign materials
- Share photos of employees to be used in emails and campaign landing pages to create a personal connection and increase engagement
- Collaborate with your United Way relationship manager to create personalized leadership pledge forms that will encourage your leadership to support your campaign
- Send pledge forms and/or the link to your e-pledge site to all employees
- Ask your CEO or campaign chair to create a personal endorsement or offer support for the campaign
- Have department managers announce the campaign at staff meetings to boost awareness and support
- Reach out to retirees and expand your reach
- Finalize email language and timing, and test the link from United Way to provide feedback
- Launch campaign communications to engage your team and build excitement
- Train and solicit campaign representatives from each department to ensure buy-in and representation across the organization
- Send a communication from your CEO to all employees to create a sense of urgency and encourage participation
- Launch your leadership campaign with an event and a focused solicitation effort to rally support and inspire generosity
- Test the pledge system to ensure that everything is running smoothly and make any necessary adjustments
- Hold a kickoff event to build excitement and momentum for the campaign
- Host special events for colleagues from every level to make the campaign fun and engaging for all
- Publicize the results of the leadership campaign to create a sense of urgency and encourage participation
- Conduct employee solicitation and strive for 100% participation to maximize impact
- Hold giveaways and drawings to incentivize pledge form returns.
- Confirm that campaign representatives have talked to all employees to ensure that no one is left out
- Follow up with past contributors who have not yet responded to encourage support and maximize giving
- Report progress to all employees regularly and submit an interim progress report to United Way to demonstrate the impact we're making
Congratulations on completing a successful campaign! Here are some important final steps:
- Determine the final results and meet with the CEO/Campaign Manager to discuss
- Announce the total amount raised to employees to celebrate and recognize their contributions
- Conduct a final meeting with the campaign committee to evaluate what worked well, what didn't, and gather suggestions for next year
- Thank and recognize all contributors for their generosity and support
- Submit final results to United Way to demonstrate the impact we've made in the community
- Discuss an implementation plan for the company's new hires to ensure continued participation in future campaigns
- Consider the possibility of a rollover campaign to maintain momentum and sustain giving
- Hold a thank-you event to show appreciation for everyone's hard work and dedication
- Discuss year-round engagement opportunities with the United Way relationship manager to stay involved and make a lasting impact
- Select chairs for next year's campaign to continue the tradition of giving back and making a difference in our community
