We realize some companies are continuing to stay apart, and that some are coming back together. Here are some basics of a virtual campaign to help any ECC prepare for launch, successfully.
Build Your Team
- Campaign Lead - Drives the campaign strategy, champions Leadership Giving efforts, recruits workplace champions, and wraps up the campaign by recognizing the individuals who made this happen. This can be Senior Leadership or the Employee Campaign Coordinator (ECC). Or recruit a Campaign Team and involve a cross-section of co-workers from different departments!
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Payroll & Finance Coordinator - Manages all financial aspects of your campaign. Provides updated employee lists, receives copies of pledge forms to be deducted from payroll or reports downloaded from our online giving platform.
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Special Events Coordinator - Creates, coordinates and executes virtual campaign events to drive engagement.
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United Way Campaign Associate- Your United Way Partner provides strategic expertise, statistical analysis and fundraising best practices that will help you run a successful workplace campaign. Call or email your United Way Staff Partner to help you customize your campaign, ask questions, and get more resources!
Set A Goal
Work with your leadership team and your campaign associate to identify both a challenging and inspiring campaign goal that’s attainable for your company.
Hint: Think about if you want to go for dollars raised or participation. Combo of both? Talk to your United Way Staff Partner for some insight!
Online Giving
Online giving is a great way to keep your employees engaged in a campaign and gives them a simple way to give back (especially if you aren’t back in the office yet). If you need help thinking through an online giving solution, contact your United Way Staff Partner to learn more.
Plan Virtual Events
The best part about today’s technology is that it allows us to do much more, virtually, than 60 years ago when United Way of Windham County was established. We gathered our favorite ideas for virtual events to help plan your virtual kickoff.
Collecting special event dollars? Contact your United Way Staff Partner to learn more.
Want to request a safety net agency speaker? This is a great way to educate co-workers about the issues in the community, how United Way funding supports our region and have a fun event! You can request one here.
Plan Your Communications
Creating a communications plan – for both co-workers AND your customers – gets everyone excited and rallied around the same cause. While so many of us are still staying apart, it’s more important than ever to streamline your digital communications. See our tips and tricks.
Spread The Word
Employees prefer contributing to work they find meaningful, and this is particularly important for millennials. In fact, 84% of millennials (many companies’ largest work groups) report that Corporate Social Responsibility is important to them.
Pro tip: Sharing how your company supports the community on social media can help attract top talent AND encourage your co-workers to share their excitement as well!
Campaign Checklist
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Build your team. It takes more than one person to run a successful campaign!Bonus: With company wide representation, people will be more excited and inclined to participate.
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Set a strategy with your United Way Staff Partner. (Don’t forget to incorporate an Advanced Leadership Giving campaign and strategy!) Don’t know who your United Way Staff Partner is? Find them here.
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Complete United Way’s Employee Campaign Coordinator (ECC) training.Stay tuned for upcoming webinars and online learning!
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Keep an eye on your inbox for ECC campaign tips and info; keeping you up-to-date with ways to make your virtual campaign a success, engage your employees, and so much more!
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Not getting the emails? Reach out to your United Way Staff Partner.
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Work with your Campaign Representative to set a campaign goal – whether it’s dollars or percent of participation – and confirm that goal with top-level management. Did you know? A goal provides a rallying point for your whole company and allows employees to work together to reach an achievable result – even if you’re not in the office together.
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Plan a virtual event and schedule communications to employees.
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There are online giving options available for your company’s campaign. Talk to your United Way Staff Partner to find out more about the options that will fit your campaign and help make it a success!
Download Campaign Checklist
Campaign Calendar
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Leadership Kickoff:Hold a virtual Leadership kickoff before the virtual campaign kickoff to provide ‘VIP’ treatment, build momentum, and obtain senior leadership endorsement
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Kickoff:Hold a free online event that outlines why you partner with United Way, upcoming raffles and virtual games, how staff can participate, and your goals. Provide information about United Way as well as share pledge cards/giving link. Show the United Way campaign video or the spokespersons video to show how United Way helps in the community
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Leadership Canvass:Identify potential donor segments and provide targeted messaging to motivate those individuals, encourage peer-to-peer canvassing, and outline benefits of Leadership Giving
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Communications:Segment employee groups to send targeted messages to build brand awareness and encourage giving. Obtain senior endorsement to send key communications, and consolidate key messages and campaign activities
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Early Bird:Use early bird incentives to inspire and motivate employees to focus their giving on the pledge drive
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Event:Hold special events during the latter half of your campaign to ensure staff have time to make a pledge without experiencing ‘donor fatigue.’ Focus virtual events on fun, awareness, and engagement
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Canvassing:Have an Ambassador team and encourage one-on-one, peer-to-peer canvassing where employees can ask questions and learn more about United Way and your campaign
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Mid-campaign Review:Invite campaign committee and United Way staff partner to review progress against financial and participation goals, and strategize how to build enthusiasm and motivation for remainder of campaign
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Wrap-up Event:Hold a (virtual or in-person!) wrap-up event to announce your organization’s achievement, recognize key supporters and thank volunteers
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Recognition:Thank donors, participants, senior leadership, executives, suppliers, vendors, incentives donors, and volunteers for supporting your campaign
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Remit Envelopes:Remit cash/checks that were not entered through a digital giving platform to United Way of Windham County. Audit the campaign with your United Way Staff Partner. Use updated campaign progress to inform strategies to ensure goals are met