Before we ask anyone for a pledge or a donation, we want to be sure our audience is as educated as they want to be. It’s very likely that you’ll be talking with a wide range of people, from those who have been a part of United Way for decades to those who are just now hearing about United Way for the very first time, and everyone in between! To do this, it’s best to get everyone together in one place (in-person, or virtually). If you already have staff meetings scheduled, then it can be easy to use part of that time.  Either way, you’ll want everyone to come to the meeting with a little base knowledge of the organization.

Step 1 – Invite your employees/coworkers to We find this email template to be a helpful way to provide the most basic information. Keep in mind, this is for base knowledge, not for a deep dive into all things United Way (that can create an information overload).

Step 2 – Use our presentation template. Being able to see information makes it so much easier for many of us to retain it. Our presentation template (and script) makes it where you only need to add in your company goal to be ready. Give the script a read or two before you’re in front of others and you’ll be looking like a pro. It can also be useful to show a video or two, so feel free to use our campaign video or our whiteboard style video that outlines how United Way of East TN Highlands works.

Be sure to have pledge forms available at the meeting for anyone who is familiar, ready and willing to make their pledge at the conclusion of your presentation. Some companies have thier own pledge forms or pledging systems through an internal HR/Payroll system, but if you don’t have this feel free to use the one we’ve put together (our pledge form).

Step 1 – Follow up with an email to your team! Let’s be honest, people can zone out during a meeting and a quick email to keep the conversation going can be really helpful. Our template makes it easy for you to share a quick message and provide additional information for those who want to learn a little more on thier own.

Step 2 – Adjust the follow up email template as needed throughout your campaign. There’s a good chance that someone will want to talk the decision over with their spouse. Additional emails are meant to be friendly reminders, not pressuring and coercive. Feel free to mention any incentives that your company offers, but try to avoid giving out the feeling that it’s a requirement.

*If you’re a brand new campaign, be sure to connect us with your Payroll department so that we can ensure that everything is set up correctly*

Step 1 – Say thank you! Saying thank you is one of, if not THE, most important part of running a campaign. For those who did donate, thank them personally. We’ve got another email template that makes this super easy as well.

Step 2 – Thank employees on social media! You don’t have to tag each one of them (but you can if you want!). Those who are proud of their gift may feel inclined to share the post further one thier own social media acccounts, resulting in more people seeing your company’s efforts to give back and be a part of the community. Don’t know what to say in your post? No worries, we’ve got you covered with a graphic to share and even sample wording to go with it. If you tag us, we’ll share it too!