Fun Event Ideas

Why not add some fun and excitement to your employee campaign. Offer incentives or prizes to contributors…or sponsor contests that revolve around your campaign effort. (Let employees know of the incentives in advance of the campaign drive).

Who do you want to reach

• Non-contributors
• First-time contributors
• All Contributors
• Contributors giving at different levels
• Contributors who increase their gifts

How do you reach them?

• Random drawing - contributors receive raffle tickets and a drawing is held
• Individual incentives - departments, divisions or "teams" of employees compete for top results and group prize.

Ideas on how to make incentives work for your company!

1. To increase participation, offer incentives for:
   • First Time Contributors
   • Departments having highest percentage of participation
   • Department/Floor/Building who turns in pledge cards the quickest
2. To increase average gift, offer incentives for:
   • New/increased payroll contributors (Payroll donors give on average more than cash donors)
   • Employees giving at suggested levels
   • Contributors who increase their gift by a determined % or $ amount
3. To encourage employees to pledge promptly
   • Hold prize drawings daily; the sooner employees pledge, the more days they will be in the drawing
   • Early to pledge, early to prize. Five chances for pledges returned on first day, one less chance each succeeding day.
4. Recognition Incentive Suggestions:
   • 5 chances for giving suggested amount
   • 4 chances for payroll gifts with desired increase
   • 3 chances for first time givers
   • 2 chances for returning pledge cards early
   • Special drawing for first day givers
5. To encourage attendance at campaign meetings:
   • Communicate that drawings will be held for those who attend
   • Include United Way on existing department meeting agendas
   • Have FOOD!!!

What kind of recognition or prize?

• Casual Dress Day
• Coffee mug or United Way mug
• Company T-shirt or United Way T-shirt
• An extra day off with pay
• Lunch for the department with the greatest participation
• Free tickets to a sporting or cultural event
• Free lunch with your supervisor or manager

When should you recognize employees?

• Reward employees with the incentives immediately
• Reward employees in a public manner

Informing with Fun

Help your co-workers make more informed choices about supporting United Way. Plan educational activities and printed materials that are fun and informative.

• Survey employees prior to the campaign, asking who has used a United Way agency and if they are willing to share their experience with other employees. Ask employees questions about United Way, then share the results of the survey in the company newsletter
• Feature stories in your publications about your employees who have volunteered for United Way agencies or used their services
• Have an educational bulletin board with features about various agencies
• United Way trivia contest
• Have a "pop -quiz" about United Way during staff meetings
• ¨Feature United Way agencies in newsletter. For example, tell readers exactly how United Way dollars are spent.
• Have a special edition of the newsletter with United Way information
• Print a calendar with schedule of events for your campaign
• Send a "did you know" memo out daily regarding some aspect of United Way
• Send personalized thank you notes from CEO

Publicizing Your Campaign

Create excitement for your campaign through special promotions such as:

• Banners - placed in entrances, cafeterias and hallways
• Campaign bulletin boards which feature United Way information and the campaign schedule
• Placemats, food tray liners, table tents in the cafeteria or eating area to promote the campaign
• Recorded telephone messages with daily campaign information
• Computer terminals - put information on the screen imprint or sign-on messages about daily campaign events
• Letter from top management announcing and promoting the campaign
• Payroll stuffers with agency information; features of employees who have used United Way services
• Publish letters or quotes from employees/supervisors about why they support United Way - print special letterhead with campaign theme

Incentives/Theme Ideas SPECIAL INCENTIVES - are a way to encourage employee participation in campaign activities such as contests, raffles, games and other events. Consider a few of the following no or low cost incentives:

• Food, coffee, sodas, cookies, or doughnuts at group meetings
• A day off
• A preferred parking space for a period of time
• A "jeans" day where employees can dress casually
• "Challenges for departments, branch offices, etc, with prizes for the winners
• A week's or month's "rights" to preferred parking space
• Gift certificates to local restaurants
• Tickets to movies
• Pizza party

CAMPAIGN THEME IDEAS - Themes can set the tone for a lively, fun campaign. When creating a theme, use action words to motivate employees.

Softball/Baseball Theme

• "Pitch in for United Way"
• "Join the Winning Team"
• "Be a Champion for United Way"

Heart Theme

• "Touch Someone's Heart" "Give…Wholeheartedly" "Give From Your Heart"

Rainbow Theme

• "Help Brighten Tomorrow"
• "Paint a Brighter Tomorrow"
• "Shed a Ray of Hope"

Hot Air Balloon Theme

• "Give Someone a Lift"
• "Lift Someone's Spirits"
• "Rise to the Challenge"

Special events stir enthusiasm among employees. Include events in your campaign planning that will bring employees together and build a spirited foundation for your campaign.

• "Ugly Supervisor" contest - have supervisors take ugly photos and display in hallways - vote with quarters
• Heart-shaped cookies and cake sale, or sell food which relates to your theme (i.e. sell hot dogs and peanuts if you have a baseball theme)
• Flower sale - send fresh cut flowers to someone in the building or sell potted mums
• Hold a lunch and roast a long-time staff member
• Have top management serve breakfast to leading department
• Golf outing: foursomes play for a United Way member agency
• Inter-department contests
  • The United Way Olympics - featuring either real games such as vollyball, tennis, badminton - or silly games such as three-legged races
  • Pie throwing contest, pie baking contest, pie eating contest
  • Legs contest - have male employees behind a sheet wearing shorts; employees vote with applause for the best legs; promote the event with photos of the legs in the hallway
  • Cooking contest - print the recipes in a book after the event - proceeds go to United Way
  • Guessing Contest - Guess the grand total for the campaign - Guess the per capita gift

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