United Way

SarieP

My company supports United Way and we have big campaigns every year.  Unfortunately there isn't much support by the employees.  I know that so many of you are creative and was wondering if you had any ideas on how I can get more people in my company to support United Way.  TIA!

tidetravel

Many people donate to their own private charities. I don't participate in any charity drives at work that require me to donate money (different if it's participation in an event to support something) If the company wants to support the charity, it should - out of it's corporate fund.

*BeachBride0410*

My company does payroll donations, when you donate, depending on how much during the year, you get raffle tickets, and have the chance to win all sorts of things.

SarieP

Thanks Tide for your opinion, but unfortunately, part of my job is to try to motivate employees to contribute.  Do you have any ideas?

*BeachBride0410*

Maybe put together a slideshow that lets people know where their money could go towards.  How much just $1 a week means for the people United Way helps.

Golfer'sLady

With one United Way campaign I ran at a large university we did a week long donation push and drew a donor name each day for a prize (all donated: restaurant gift cards, nights at a local resort). That encouraged people to donate because we drew from all donations each day, so even if you didn't win on Monday you still had a chance to win the rest of the week.Other points that encouraged donation were:- paycheck withdrawal ("just a $1 a paycheck!").- sealed envelopes so all donations were private except for our book keeper.- you can specify on the card if there is a specific organization you want your money directed toward (all of mine went to a local Hospice). This was specifically available through our United Way so maybe check with yours to see if that is an option.I'd also contact your United Way rep to see if they have local ideas that have worked.Good luck!

wadingmoose

The United Way is a tough one.  A lot of people just personally disagree with the organization as a whole and you won't be able to get past that with them.  Of all the companies I've worked at, this current one supports the United Way the most.  They have a ton of events - BBQ's, street hockey, 50/50 raffles, etc.  They also hold opening and closing ceremonies to their campaign, have a competition between offices in different cities, do donation matching to a certain dollar amount, second employees to work at the United Way (all the way up to VP level one year), bring in people to talk about how they've benefited from United Way funding, host days where employees volunteer with the specific charities, donate additional money based on employee donations to fully fund reading programs and other initiatives put forth by the United Way.It's kinda irritating by the end of it, to be honest.

wadingmoose

Oh yeah, and when you submit your donation, you're entered in draws for days off with pay.  Oddly, that's a huge motivator.

SarieP

That is the point we are at Wading.  They beat it to death here and I'm hoping to find something new to actually motivate people instead of just getting another eyeroll.

*BeachBride0410*

Why do people disagree with the United Way??  They help so many people.

wadingmoose

And they did a competition between floors to see which floor could put the largest $ amount in their waterbottle by the end of the week.  Any bills in the bottles was subtracted from the coin total.  The prize for the winning floor was pizza.  We filled our water bottle with rolled change - remember in Canada, we have $1 and $2 coins.  That's a lot of freakin' money.  On top of that, people were stuffing bills in the top.They also do bake sales.All events are matched by the company so if our floor managed to raise $500 in that water bottle, we really donated $1000 to the United Way.

wadingmoose

They may help so many people, but they also have high staff overhead so by the time your money gets to the charity, it's not the full amount you donated. Like (I think it was) Tide mentioned, I could choose to donate directly to the charity of my choice and know that that charity received every dollar of my donation. With the United Way, that doesn't happen.

danieliza1127

I don't know anything about the United Way, but at my office, during the month of September we are allowed to wear jeans on Wednesdays if we donate $2 to the charity they chose.  I'm not even sure what the charity is but I pay my $2 and wear jeans on Wednesdays.  Maybe you could do something like that? 

adelheidster

At one of my previous employers, we had to wear business casual attire every day, no casual Fridays.   During the drive, you could donate money to wear jeans to work, for anything from one day to an entire month.  This seemed to be very popular with the staff there.

*BeachBride0410*

Gotcha Moose.........  My company allows you to donate to the United Way or a charity of your choice on a list and its deducted from my check.  Like Meals on Wheels

pumpkinpumpkin

I don't agree with the United Way. In my town, the United Way supports Minor Hockey, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, and very few charitable organizations. IMO, hockey and girl guides are capable of doing their own fundraising. I'd far rather give to the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Mental Health Organization, or the Abuse Prevention Center in my town.

ring_pop

Do you have multiple offices? Maybe you could post one of those giant thermometers tracking the donations received at each branch as a friendly competition. Or, as wading mentioned, a floor-vs-floor competition.

vallyhoo

Sarie- is this the same employer that is eliminating your unpaid lunch hour? Maybe employees could get their lunch hour back if they donated.My friend works for a grocery store and they pressure their employees to have money deducted from their paycheck to go to the United Way. My friend opted out and they are giving her one hell of a time. She advised them that she donates money and her time to charities of her choice. As opposed to supporting her for volunteering and contributing to a charity of her choice, she feels ostracized.

SarieP

Vally, the lunch hour thing is actually in favor of the employees.  Everyone gets paid to eat. 

vallyhoo

I wasn't entirely serious.So can you still take an hour and go to the local deli and eat lunch, or do you have to eat while you work? Sorry if you explained this the other day.

tidetravel

Are the campaigns simply to solicit money or do they do other things to raise money/help the cause? As someone who would not normally donate money directly to the charity, I may be inclined to support it if there were an activity involved. For example, sometimes the office would put together a team and take part in "polar bear swims" or other activities to raise money for a charity; the team would need sponsors, and usually the office would do some sort of donation matching - I would pay money to see my friend Ed freeze his butt off. Maybe something like that would pull in those that wouldn't normally contribute.

kristinanddan

We have a huge United Way drive here every October. Some of the events include: theme basket raffle - the baskets are donated by different departments, book sales, bake sales, a golf putting tournament, football toss tournament, bingo, talent shows, a coin collection, soccer tournament, wii homerun derby, lunches.

raynes

We do a week or two week campaign for United Way in my office, and anyone that chooses to submit a donation form (regardless of amount) is entered into a draw for prizes. The prizes always include things like restaurant gift cards ($100 to the Keg) and Home Depot, day off with pay (always a hit) and a special parking space. We've got the 2 spaces closest to the door as designated United Way supporter spots. In the winter, they are ideal. We usually host events during the campaign too. Pie in the face always goes over well. Different amounts for different distances. The GM is always on board, so he makes all the directors and supervisors go up to get pie'd. Our campaign is usually around Canadian Thanksgiving or Halloween, so one year they raised money to see which of the directors had to put on a French Maids costume but having jars at the front desk. Turned out the rented costumes for all the directors.

MsGamblingGirl

My company is big into UW. We get days off (not a raffle, but guaranteed days off) based on how much we donate - up to 3 days! We also have reserved parking as an option if people don't want the days off. Another nice perk is casual friday (or jeans on say Tuesday if you already have casual friday). I would focus on perks  - they totally work at my company, nearly eveyone participates and donates big money!

chosen175

I was a social worker at a UW agency, and they gave a LOT of $$ to our agency to help the developmentally disabled. So, of course, we were strongly encouraged to do the $1/week payroll deduction. I walways did - it was pre-tax and it's not like I would miss the $.78 or whatever. They had this slideshow on kickoff day that showed what you can do with $.78 - 2 minutes on a pay phone, 3 jawbreakers, 3/4 of a McDonald's hamburger, and then towards the end, they showed people with disabilities working, other things UW supported, etc. Honestly, what kind of person won't give $.78 a week to help someone? I probably drop more than that out of my pockets each week. We also gave lunch to whichever department had the highest percentage of people participating. We used to "bid" on things like our executive director washing your car, extra vacation days, dinner for your family catered by a local restaurant, etc and all proceeds went to UW. We got a paid day off if we went out and stood on the corner for 2 hours, collecting change for UW during their campaign - work your 2 hours and the rest of the day is yours. Since I left that agency, I hear that they put in a snack machine and soda machine (it was a SMALL agency, so we never had one before) and all the profits go to UW.

bbyckes

My company did a media yard sale.  They solicited donations for all type of books and audiobooks.  Then they held a "yard sale" in one of the conference rooms. whereby employees would go and shop.  Everything was only $1.  It was HUGELY successful.   If employees didn't have cash, they could write a check or take a payroll deduction.