Campaign Best Practices
CAMPAIGN BEST PRACTICES: CONTEC, Inc.
At United Way of the Piedmont, we partner with companies of every size and sector across Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties. United Way Workplace Campaigns are about bringing companies together to tackle our community's most challenging issues. Every workplace campaign is different and is customized to each organization's culture.
We wanted to hear from one of our corporate partners about what makes their campaign so successful. In this Q&A, Emily Phalen from Contec, Inc. shares about their campaign best practices.
What makes your giving campaign successful each year?
Our campaign is only successful each year because of our employees. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t meet our annual goals. They are proud supporters of the United Way and we have many who have been giving every year since they have been with Contec. Contec has built a culture of giving back to the community in multiple ways (volunteer hours, supporting various charities through events, donations) and it shows. It starts at the top with our CEO, Jack McBride, and it flows down to every employee in the company. The executive support the campaign has each year really emphasizes the importance the campaign has to Contec and the employees see that.
How have you adapted your campaign because of the pandemic?
We have turned our campaign into a virtual one. Some events have been postponed until its safe to do them in-person again. Some events still take place but with variations. The donor meetings are no longer in person for the time being. We have started a virtual page with the United Way to allow donors to see their level giving and raffle options as well as make their donation. It also allows us to make a video each year with our CEO so employees can view the video from the website. The website has been very helpful to get information out to the employees. The virtual campaign has pros and cons, just like the in-person campaign has pros and cons. I think the virtual campaign will remain beyond the pandemic since it has created a lot less paperwork and allows employees to view the campaign materials through a computer, smartphone, or tablet at their convenience. I think the campaign, beyond the pandemic, will be a combination of the virtual and in-person.
How do you motivate your colleagues to give each year?
Some employees don’t need to be motivated. They give each year and they are proud supporters annually to the Contec campaign. They would donate regardless of any outside motivations. Some colleagues do like to be motivated. We once only did raffles for various types of giving (such as first-time donors and donations at different giving levels) but it didn’t guarantee anything for donating. We decided to add in level giving as well. The motivation is “if you give this, you get this”. It started with a guaranteed campaign t-shirt. Since then, the level giving tiers guarantee employees will receive items from a t-shirt to PTO days depending on their donation for the year. It has been a big motivator to encourage those not giving to start giving and for those already giving to increase their giving.
How would you encourage a workplace that is considering running a campaign?
I think a workplace considering running a campaign should start small and set realistic goals. It takes a few campaigns to figure out how many employees are natural givers versus those who may need some motivation to give. Meeting the small goals will motivate employees moving forward. Look for fun events the employees will enjoy to keep United Way in the forefront during the campaign year (like Stuff the Bus, Bags of Love, MLK Day, Overflow Thanksgiving) and be sure the executive team is onboard. Not just onboard but enthusiastically supporting the campaign. Adding a few of the executives to the committee is also helpful to share ideas and find out what the company can offer in support of the goal. Adding employees from all over the company to the committee helps to hear feedback from different departments, disseminate information to all groups and creates diverse ideas for the campaign.
What are some of the top campaign materials or tools that you use each year?
The website has been a huge help during the pandemic. We had used it one campaign prior to the pandemic but it was vital to Contec being able to continue with the United Way campaign uninterrupted. The platform is helpful and multiple things can be added to the site which are specific to your company and your campaign. Our United Way contacts are an amazing tool we use frequently. They are a wealth of information and very responsive to things like changing the website, offering advice, sharing what other companies are doing, delivering campaign supplies, and offering upcoming events which need volunteers or donations. Networking events have also been a great tool to share ideas and to hear what others are doing which we could implement or do differently. I look forward to more networking events when the pandemic slows enough to make it safe to do so. The ideas shared at these events is a key part of how our campaign has continued to be successful.
Thank you, Emily!
Is your company interested in running a United Way campaign? Visit our Partnership page to learn more.
Already running a campaign and want to learn more best practices? Visit our Campaign Resources page.
If you have questions, please contact us.
