Effective Campaign Practices

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE GIVING PROGRAMS

The following characteristics represent the standards that leading corporate charitable workplace giving programs demonstrate.

Visible Executive Leadership

• Executive endorsement and corporate commitment to a strong workplace giving program with defined goals and objectives.
• Recognition of the value that a workplace giving program adds to the company, its employees and the community by supporting issues important to all stakeholders.
• Visible and active involvement of senior company officers in the campaign.
• Middle management support that allows company time for campaign volunteer training, employee meetings and educational activities.
• Company sponsored or supported leadership giving program for employees at all levels.
• Support for a strong corporate giving program that matches employee contributions.

Employee Involvement and Ownership

• The company assumes ownership of the campaign and brands it with a name, theme and logo that fits their unique corporate culture and responds to employee interests.
• An employee steering committee to evaluate and recommend the workplace campaign design.
• A process to measure and evaluate employee perceptions and interests regarding charitable giving and the workplace giving program.
• Sponsorship of workplace giving program activities and events that encourages employee involvement.
• Promotion of employee and executive volunteer involvement in the community.

Focus on Communication and Education

• Year-round employee communication providing factual information about how contributions are used in the community, and the nonprofit agencies that participate in the workplace giving program.
• Using company communication channels (i.e. Internet and Intranet, newsletters, e-mail, voice mail, payroll stuffers, etc.) to promote employee involvement and participation.
• Provide links to charity web sites.
• Promotional activities such as agency tours, fairs, speakers which offer a chance to learn about how nonprofit agencies address community problems.
• Retention of personal peer employee solicitation.
• An employee thank-you and recognition program.

Campaign that Promotes Choice

• A program that offers employees the opportunity to support a wide range of organizations and issues important to them.
• Active involvement and participation of a variety of nonprofit organizations.

Use of Technology

• Communication technology used to inform and education employees about services provided through the workplace giving program and participating nonprofit organizations.
• Technology applications that make it easy for employees to contribute.
• A cost-effective means to process pledges and distribute payment to recipient nonprofit organizations.
• Technologies to monitor campaign progress and provide feedback to campaign volunteers throughout the process.