According to United Way research, the primary reason people don’t contribute to the annual campaign is because they are not asked. Put simply – there is no task more important than asking people to give.
TIP: Asking in person truly makes a difference. The two most successful ways to do so are the one-to-one, individual requests and the group request. And please be sure to ask everyone!
The One-to-One Request
You should begin making one-to-one requests as soon as possible. Extend personal requests to as many people in the organization as you can. Then ask the whole group at the campaign kickoff meeting. Continue reaching out until the entire staff has been asked to contribute.
The approach
Each employee is asked by a fellow worker (the campaign volunteer) to contribute. This allows contributors time to ask questions and hear firsthand how United Way improves lives and communities through a network of agencies and programs across the region. United Way has plenty of information and resources available for those who are “making-the-ask” so they can be well prepared to handle questions.
Advantages of one-to-one requests
- The message can be tailored to individual employees and/or employee interests.
- The request for a contribution can be made directly and individual questions can be addressed.
- Campaign leaders can learn why a nonparticipating employee doesn’t contribute and then address any concerns related to that decision.
Tips for one-to-one requests
- Recruit key people from each department. Try to get one volunteer for every 10-15 employees.
- Try to use volunteers. They tend to be more effective than those who are chosen or asked.
- If you are able, plan agency tours, bring in agency speakers and use other tools to inform volunteers about United Way.
The Group Request
If you’re planning group requests, make sure that managers and employees are told before attending a meeting that they’ll be asked to contribute to United Way.
The approach
After hearing the United Way story and seeing the campaign video, ask everyone to make their
pledge using the card provided by United Way or your payroll department. Collect pledge cards
as people are leaving the meeting and give one copy to your payroll department and one copy to United Way.
TIP: Ask everyone to return a pledge card before leaving the meeting or by a set date – even if they choose not to contribute. This will make your job easier by not having to track down outstanding donations or pledge cards and you will know that everyone has been given an opportunity to participate. Offering an incentive (i.e. drawing for a prize) to encourage the return of pledge forms is a great strategy that can effectively expedite the pledge-form collection process.
Tips for a successful group meeting
- Experience shows that the best results are achieved when meetings are scheduled at the start of a workday and accommodate between 15 and 50 participants.
- Greet everyone as they enter and hand out personalized pledge cards. Printed labels work great for personalizing and add a personal touch to the request for support.
- Keep track of collected cards so that you can easily identify those that have not been returned. Follow-up with those employees who did not attend the meeting and/or did not return their pledge card.
- United Way strongly recommends that companies utilize United Way Campaign Chair Persons or Agency Speakers to address co-workers and answer their questions.