CHAMPION PLAYBOOK A RESOURCE GUIDE

Transcription

1 CHAMPION PLAYBOOK A RESOURCE GUIDE Champions make the difference! This guide will help you communicate, raise funds for United Way and have fun.

2 HOW YOUR DONATIONS HELP Donors want to know how their investment in United Way is making a difference. This story will help you to communicate how the work of United Way helps to set people on a path to success. This is Michael. Follow along on his journey from unexpected hardship to a life of prosperity, thanks to the generous support from United Way donors. FIGHTING HUNGER One day, Michael s dad suddenly passed away. Soon, the family struggled to make ends meet and afford the essentials. Fortunately, Michael was able to attend a Summer Lunch Program and his family was able access fresh food at the local food bank all supported by United Way. ELIMINATING TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS Michael s mom found a minimum wage job, but didn t have a reliable car and couldn t afford to repair it. She applied to the Rebuilding Wheels Rebuilding Lives program supported by United Way and received a refurbished car which helped her maintain her employment. STRENGTHENING KIDS While his mom was at work, Michael attended an after-school program in his neighbourhood supported by United Way. He received homework help, participated in recreational activities and received a healthy snack. YOUTH CAREER BUILDING Michael s teacher recommended him for United Way s On Track to Success Program, and he was accepted. His Success Coach provided encouragement, career building and volunteer opportunities throughout high school. Michael graduated high school, applied for college and was accepted. NEIGHBOURHOOD ENGAGEMENT After graduating high school and college, Michael moved back to his old neighbourhood to be close to Mom. He was inspired to make a positive change and he joined a Residents Group supported by United Way. BUILDING VIBRANT COMMUNITIES Michael wanted to improve the appearance, safety and image of his neighbourhood. He helped to clean up the neighbourhood and planned events so that residents could get to know each other. FROM POVERTY TO POSSIBILITY Michael is now a happy and active member of our community. He earns a living wage and is able to support his family. Michael is grateful to the people that helped him along the way. For more stories visit:

3 SHOW YOUR LOCAL LOVE DID YOU KNOW? Your donation stays in our community. United Way is proud to be 100% local. WHY IT MATTERS: 1 in 5 children in Windsor-Essex County are living in poverty Thank you for being a United Way champion!

4 YOUR CHAMPION ROLE As our United Way Champion, you play an important role in the success of the fundraising efforts in your organization, and ultimately, the well-being of our community. No individual, company or agency working alone can achieve as much as we can by working together. Thank you for being a Champion! The majority of funds raised by United Way come from employees who generously contribute through their workplaces. As a Champion, your role is to: Be the voice of United Way in your workplace by ensuring you are familiar with United Way s mission and goals and the work being done in the community. Lead and direct the United Way campaign within your organization, motivate your campaign team and inspire people to give. Help employees understand how contributions to United Way directly impact our community. Give all employees an opportunity to invest in their community. Benefits to you: Opportunity to learn and develop leadership skills. Lead a project from start to finish and develop project management skills. Develop fundraising skills. Get to know your colleagues. Gain knowledge of other divisions or departments in your organization. Opportunities to network with other Champions. Further your understanding of United Way s role in the community. Have fun while contributing to a great cause. Thank you for giving your time to help change the lives of thousands of people right here at home.

5 BEST PRACTICES FOR RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN 1. Get support from your organization Ask a senior leader to attend a kick-off gathering and explain why the campaign is important to the organization and the community. 2. Build a team and set your goals Include people from different departments, levels, experience and both management and union representatives. Assign team members to plan activities and ensure all employees are asked to give. Define success: Do you want your goal to increase donor participation, average gift, or a combination of both? Determine how will you reach out to new employees and younger donors. 3. Communicate the impact of donations Help employees understand the impact of United Way s work and their individual gift. Plan a kick-off activity that includes a speaker, video or information about the needs in the community and how they are being met through United Way s work. #1 REASON GIVEN FOR NOT DONATING.. THEY WERE NEVER ASKED 4. Make a personal ask People don t give unless they are asked. After the kick-off event, a one-on-one request from a peer is the most effective way to ask for support. Spread United Way s message while the team is canvassing via, personal asks, internal communications, notice boards, employee meetings, intranet, and social media. 5. Say Thank You Donors and volunteers are the key to campaign success and deserve a sincere thank you. Plan a wrap-up event to celebrate your success and say thanks. Visit to learn how to make your campaign a success.

6 IDEAS TO HELP YOU PLAN When setting a date for your campaign launch and wrap up, choose a time when your fellow employees and leadership will be most engaged. Keep holidays and your organization s seasonal considerations in mind. Remember to keep it focused and fun. Then, plan your timeline. 6 WEEKS BEFORE LAUNCH 4 WEEKS BEFORE LAUNCH 1-2 WEEKS BEFORE LAUNCH LAUNCH WEEK Reach out to your United Way staff partner for campaign support. Involve your CEO and company leadership. Participate in United Way Champion training in person or online. Recruit a team. Schedule a campaign team meeting to develop and organize your plans invite your United Way staff partner to help you. Establish specific duties for each member. Schedule speakers or show a United Way impact video. Recruit and train your campaign canvassers. Publicize and promote your campaign and announce campaign launch date, activities, and incentives. Continue to promote and publicize the campaign, and educate staff and volunteers about United Way. Host an awareness event for all staff with United Way and an Impact speaker. Ask your CEO and Labour leaders to attend and publicly endorse United Way. Thank employees who gave last year and communicate the impact of their gift. Announce campaign timeline. MIDDLE OF THE CAMPAIGN Continue to promote and publicize the campaign. Announce incentive winners as appropriate, send reminders, and conduct special events. END OF CAMPAIGN 4 WEEKS AFTER CAMPAIGN Collect all donor pledges (paper or online), ensure all information is complete, seal everything in the large white Workplace Summary envelope and contact your United Way staff partner to pick it up. Ensure payroll deduction information is passed along to your Human Resources department for processing. Announce your campaigns results and celebrate success. Recognize and thank all donors, especially new and increased pledges (if they wish to be recognized publicly). Evaluate results against goals and strategies. Debrief with United Way staff partner to review results. Work with your United Way staff partner to provide follow up communications regarding the impact of the workplace campaign and how many people in the local community were helped by the generosity of the donors.

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8 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How to address common concerns from co-workers and colleagues 1. How do I know that my donation is being invested effectively? All of the donations raised in Windsor-Essex stay here and are invested back into our local community. We work hard to remain accountable through best practices and transparent reporting. Our fundraising costs are some of the lowest in the sector. In order to ensure effectiveness, a committee of volunteers oversee all of United Way s investments. In , our administrative costs were 7.4% and our direct fundraising costs were 16.1%. Canada Revenue Agency recommends that charities have a cost of fundraising of no more than 35%. Recently there have been anonymous and false claims circulating the internet and social media about United Way executive compensation. United Way publishes its audited financial statements and its annual CRA T3010 report, which includes salary ranges for the highest compensated employees. For more information visit 2. What donations are eligible to receive a tax receipt? United Way will automatically issue receipts for donations of $10 or more. A gift where the donor has received some form of service or incentive to give ( i.e. bake sale, BBQs) are not eligible for a receipt. Payroll deduction donations are reported on T4 slips, therefore tax receipts are not typically issued by United Way. (Note: the donation will appear on the T4 in the year that the donation is deducted from pay, not in the year that the donation is pledged.) 3. I can t afford to give We realize that not everyone is in a position to give. Payroll giving makes it easy and affordable. By spreading your gift throughout the year, you often don t miss the amount from your paycheque and may be able to give a bit more. Your payroll gift will be tracked on your T4 and you will realize a savings on your tax return, making the net cost of your gift much less than you would think. Emphasize that each and every gift makes a difference and that we hope you can participate at whatever level is most comfortable for you. 4. United Way spends too much on fundraising United Way works hard to remain accountable through fundraising best practices and transparent reporting. The fundraising costs are some of the lowest in the sector. In our administrative costs were 7.4% and direct fundraising costs were 16.1%. Canada Revenue Agency recommends that charities have a cost of fundraising of no more than 35%.United Way is proud of its efforts to keep costs low through sponsorship, the Sponsored Employee Program and workplace volunteers, like our Champions. No donor dollars are spent on fundraising events. 5. United Way is a large National charity and my money will go to Toronto. All of the donations raised in Windsor-Essex County stay here and are invested back into our local community. We are proud to say that we are 100% Local. A map is available on the United Way website that shows where all of the funds have been invested throughout Windsor and Essex County. 6. Why wouldn t I just donate directly to the funded partner? We respect your choice to support the charity of your choice. United Way invests strategically to ensure we are targeting efforts to reduce the effects of poverty now and in the future across Windsor and Essex County. United Way is driving towards better long term outcomes in priority neighbourhoods and populations, which requires a coordinated approach. Our focus is on creating the most impact with every dollar that is raised. 300 Giles Blvd. E., Unit A1, Windsor ON, N9A 4C4 t f Charitable registration number: RR0001