How to Conduct a Successful Leadership Giving Campaign
Conducting a United Way Leadership Giving campaign is one of the best ways to increase success of your organization’s overall campaign. As an integral part of your work-place giving program, Leadership Giving allows your employees to make a greater impact in the lives of people throughout our region and sets your organization apart as a leader in our community.
To Implement Your Leadership Giving Campaign
- Hold separate Leadership Giving meetings in addition to the overall campaign.
- Integrate Leadership Giving into all United Way employee meetings.
You are encouraged to work with your United Way Campaign Manager to determine the best strategy for your company.
Leadership Giving Campaign Best Practices
Gain CEO and Senior Management Support
- Meet with your CEO/management staff to make sure they understand and support United Way and Leadership Giving.
- Work with your United Way Campaign Manager to identify the best person to ask your CEO for a Leadership or Tocqueville Society gift.
Recruit a Leadership Giving Chair to Organize your Leadership Campaign
- Ask the CEO to appoint a well-respected member of your organization already giving at the Leadership level.
Recruit a Team to Assist the Leadership Giving Chair
- Recruit a team of current Leadership Givers to assist the Leadership Giving Chair.
- Make solicitations in person. Peer-to-peer and person-to-person solicitations make the most effective asks.
- Your Leadership Giving team can solicit incentives from the CEO, management team and/or local businesses.
Develop a Plan & Timeline for your Leadership Giving Campaign
- If you’re holding separate Leadership Giving meetings, schedule your organization’s Leadership Giving campaign one to two weeks prior to the kick off of your general campaign.
- By announcing the results of an early Leadership Giving Campaign, those leaders can set the tone for the rest of the employees, encouraging and inspiring them to give.
- Set goals for Leadership Giving and Tocqueville Society gifts.
- Included current and potential Leadership Givers in “Ask” meetings.
- Potential Leadership Givers are current donors who give $500-999 or those whose salary is over $50,000.
- Include retirees and/or board members as part of the potential leadership pool.
- Invite employees with a letter of endorsement from the CEO or Leadership Giving Chair.
Setting Up a United Way Leadership Giving Meeting
- Consider holding your meeting at an already scheduled managers/directors meeting prior to the campaign.
- Work with your United Way Campaign Manager to schedule a speaker for your meeting.
- A Leadership Speaker from a local company
- A United Way Certified Partner Agency speaker
- An employee from your organization who is a Leadership Giver or a recipient of services provided by a United Way nonprofit partner.
- Ask your CEO to make his/her donation prior to the meeting and endorse the Leadership Giving Campaign at the meeting.
- Hand out materials including United Way’s Leader in Giving brochure and pledge forms.
- Prepare a PowerPoint presentation (customizable template available at www.yourlocalunitedway.org)
- Use incentives to encourage attendance.
Sample Leadership Giving Meeting Agenda
- PowerPoint presentation
- CEO endorses Leadership Giving
- Present benefits of Leadership Giving
- Employee/agency speaker shares story
- United Way Campaign Manager speaks
- Show United Way video
- Distribute pledge forms and pens and support materials (brochure, etc.)
- Encourage gifts of stock (if applicable)
- Highlight United Way’s leadership networking groups including Women in Philanthropy and Emerging Leaders.
- Explain incentives (if available)
- Make the “ask”
- Thank everyone for attending and for their support
After the meeting
- Collect all pledge forms
- Personally contact anyone who did not attend the meeting and make a leadership ask.
Include Leadership Giving in all United Way Employee Meetings
- Discuss Leadership Giving and its benefits in all employee meetings and invite employees to join.
- Do not assume that employees cannot give at the Leadership Levels. It is a personal choice and many organizations report that “front line” employees often account for a significant amount of Leadership Givers.
- Work with your United Way representative to schedule a speaker for your meeting.
- A Leadership Speaker from a local company
- A United Way Certified Agency Partner speaker
- An employee from your organization who is a Leadership Giver or United Way recipient.
Thank all Leadership Givers
- Send a personal thank you from the CEO and Leadership Chair to all donors and team leaders.
- Hold a thank you event hosted by the CEO and distribute incentives.
- Recognize all Leadership Givers in a visible way that will encourage other employees to give (i.e. Leadership Giving shirts, plaques).
- Advise Leadership Givers to expect a “Thank you” letter from United Way.
- Invite Leadership Givers to United Way’s annual Leaders in Giving Appreciation Event.
Communicate to Leadership Givers Year Round
- Utilize United Way’s Campaign Corner at www.yourlocalunitedway.org to access success stories, funding decisions, program results, current news and events.
- Promote and encourage donors to attend United Way Leadership events.
Utilize UWCCR Support Materials
- Leadership Campaign support materials can be downloaded from the For Campaign Coordinators section on United Way’s website, www.yourlocalunitedway.org
Close/Ask
- Sample: I ask you join me as a Leadership Giver. Some of you may give because you are financial able. Still others may give because of the potential tax benefits or because your gifts give someone less fortunate a second chance at a new life. Whatever your reason for giving, by investing in our community at the Leadership Level, you will invest in “what matters”- improving the overall quality of life right here in the region we live, work and raise our families.
