Application Standards Checklist

Transcription

1 Company/Organization Name 2014 Spirit of North Carolina Campaigning for Excellence Cross Company Application Form ( Address 4400 Piedmont Parkway Name of Person Completing this Application Cynthia Thomas Name of Sponsoring United Way of Greater High Point United Way United Way Contact for Questions Jane Liebscher Phone Phone City/State Greensboro, NC Zip Metro Size II Does the company know a Spirit Application has been submitted on their behalf? Yes No STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE Below is a checklist of the components of the application. Please complete each standard, in addition to the Organizational Overview, with as much detail as possible. Each Standard is worth up to five (5) points unless designated with an asterisk (*). Designated Standards are worth up to ten (10) points. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED USING THIS FORM and COMPLETED AS IS! Please do not add borders, headings, color, or make any changes to this form. Application Standards Checklist x x x x x x x Volunteer Culture Partnership with Community CEO/Senior Leadership Involvement and Giving Corporate or Foundation Contributions & Other Non-traditional and In-kind Gifts Employee Campaign Coordination, Incentive and Recognition Overall Per Capita Gift Participation Level Heads up: two new items! Please do not add pictures to the Standards Text Box. Instead, attach separate page with pictures labeling the corresponding Standard. (Attachment 1) You may also submit a DVD or attach a Video for viewing by the Selection Committee. The video should not exceed 3 minutes. Please send any DVDs to Anita Barker, 875 Walnut Street, Suite 150B, Cary, NC DVD s must arrive on or before January 20, 2015.

2 AWARD CATEGORIES Organization Employee Size Check the appropriate box for this application submission. Type of Organization Check the appropriate box for this application submission. Up to 50 employees employees employees employees employees employees employees employees employees Financial/Banking Institutions Manufacturing Business Campaign City/ County Municipality Higher Education School Campaigns Hospital/ Health System Retail Not-for-Profit Agency - 501(C)3 Professional Services (small business,partnerships,llc, accounting, architect, engineering firm, attorneys, etc.) To certify the contents of this application, the signature of the nominating United Way CEO or his/her direct designee must be obtained. An from the United Way may accompany the application submission stating that it has been reviewed and approved if electronic signature is not available. United Way CEO/Designee Name: Bobby Smith/Jane S. Liebscher Bobby.smith@unitedwayhp.org Jane.liebscher@unitedwayhp.org

3 Organizational Overview This information will be used during the Awards Ceremony for winning companies. Describe the mission, vision and philanthropic culture of your organization: Cross Company s Value Statement-- Cross Company values its human talent and endeavors to create a culture built on honesty, integrity, mutual respect and the highest standards of ethical business conduct. We distinguish ourselves by: Holding all associates accountable to those ideals Practicing a servant leadership style of management Communicating openly and frequently about our business performance, challenges and opportunities Listening to our associates ideas and welcoming a dissenting opinions Establishing clear expectations and providing on-going performance feedback Embracing change and encouraging innovation Admitting and taking responsibility for our mistakes Sustaining a fun, family-oriented and interesting workplace We will also be aware of and responsive to the needs and concerns of the community by: Welcoming and respecting diversity in our organization and communities Implementing green practices where practical Participating in charitable causes These values are prominently posted on the stair case at our corporate office so all of our associates see them each day. We speak of these values often and they play a significant role in anything we do as a company, from events to hiring. Describe ONE unique and meaningful event, activity, or communication that ignited the success of your campaign: (This will be shared at the Awards Banquet if selected as a winner) Our campaign kicks-off each year with a Pancake Breakfast for Lunch. This activity is a highlight of our year. Our managers take time out of their busy day to cook pancakes and sausage, and our associates come together to share a meal and to hear from our United Way representative, Jane Liebscher, and also a speaker from one of the United Way organizations. This year the speaker was Desmone Kearse from the Boys & Girls Club. (Attachment 1 - Agenda). Our campaign theme was Step Right Up. List 3 bullet-points highlighting numeric campaign successes: (This will be shared at the Awards Banquet if selected as a winner) (i.e., dollars raised, % increase over previous year, # of leadership givers, etc.) Company match - increased company match this year to from 50% to 100% of employee pledges. 7% increase over 2013 campaign Raised $69,964 in employee pledges and campaign activities; $139,049 including company match

4 Standard 1 - Volunteer Culture Describe how volunteerism fits into the organization s philanthropic mission. Include specific volunteer activities (listing recipient organizations) and, if possible, provide number of employees, volunteer hours and dollar value of volunteer participation. (Estimated value of volunteer time for 2013 is $22.55 per hour) Include organizational incentives for participating in community volunteer activities. Up to 5 points The following are Servant Style Leadership behaviors that Cross communicates, models, and holds each other accountable for: Influencing people to work toward the common good. Seeking the greatest good and genuinely caring for others. Being selfless. Kindness. Giving attention, appreciation and encouragement to each other. Humility. Leading without arrogance. Respectfulness. Treating others as important. Honesty and trustworthiness. Being free from deception. Doing the right thing. Even when no one is looking. Having Character and Substance. Patience. Showing self control. Being authentic and transparent. Being a good role model. Selflessness. Meeting the needs of others. Forgiveness: giving up resentment when wronged. Being a good listener valuing other peoples perspectives. A positive, enthusiastic attitude. Focus on relationships This information is communicated at all New Employee Orientations so that new associates are made aware of the importance of adhering to them as they begin their employment with Cross Company. This Servant Style Leadership spills over into the community as our associates volunteer with the following organizations: Community homeless shelters Hospice Boy Scouts of America Community Athletic Associations Schools, PTSA, reading programs Soup Kitchens YMCAs Churches, Mission Trips Community Bible Studies Senior Resources of Guilford County, Capital Campaign Knights of Columbus Family Service of the Piedmont, Board of Directors, Families First Campaign, Capital Campaign NCCJ (National Conference for Community and Justice) Adopt a Highway Program Volunteer Hours: 2813 Value of Volunteer Time: $63,433.15

5 Standard 2 Partnership with community to raise awareness of needs and foster a spirit of giving Describe the organization s philanthropic relationship with the community. Document specific rallies, events, or programs which generate enthusiasm for community involvement and support. Unique partnership and awareness activities should be highlighted such as specialized meetings, tours, speakers and fairs. Activities which have positive results for year-round engagement should be cited as well. Up to 5 points Cross Company has a long history of involvement with community organizations. Below are some of the activities in which we have participated: One of the special activities for a previous United Way campaign was a Kid s Carnival. We entertained children from Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys & Girls Club with games and hot dogs. Our associates assisted in planning and participating with all the children which brought recognition to these organizations and all the wonderful things they do for our community. (Attachment 2 - Pictures of Kid s Carnival) During another campaign, we took a group of children from a United Way organization to the bowling alley and served them lunch. (Attachment 3 - Pictures at Bowling Alley) We have participated in United Way Days of Caring by collecting school supplies for Fill the Bus, visiting residents at Pennybyrn at Maryfield, participating in Day in the Park Festival, and other volunteer opportunities over the years. We donate our Communications Center to Guilford Education Alliance for their annual meetings four days in October. Red Cross blood drives have been held at our company for many years. Associates served lunch at Open Door Ministries monthly in the past. Our associates donated food to the CanPaign Food Drive through United Way of Greater High Point. This food drive did not only benefit the High Point area, we also asked our associates at all of our locations to donate to their local food banks and the company offered prizes for those who contributed the most. We communicated information to all associates about the food drive through the US Postal Service. (Attachment 4 - CanPaign Pictures) Our associates made sleeping mats for the homeless by knitting mats from plastic shopping bags. We collected bags and cut each one into strips. The strips were tied end to end to make plastic yarn or "plarn". It takes bags to make a mat. Then two of our associates knitted the plarn into mats and took them to a local church that shelters the homeless. One of our associates in Tennessee participated in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. He raised $3,200 for United Way!

6 Standard 3 - CEO/Senior Leadership Involvement and Giving Given that Leadership participation is a Best Practice item: Describe how senior leadership (CEO/Direct reports) hosts, manages, organizes, participates in, and influences philanthropy, community support, and campaign activities. Describe how company leadership in general promotes a culture of giving. Specific events that are sponsored (and led) by the leadership team should be noted. Complete the leadership giving table below. Up to 10 points* A gift of $1,000 or more is considered a leadership gift. Our CEO sends out the initial communication about our campaign and encourages all of our associates to participate. (Attachment 5 - CEO letter). He also will send out follow-up notes if necessary. As previously mentioned, our managers cook pancakes and sausage and serve our associates at our annual campaign kick-off. (Attachment 6 - Kick Off Pictures) Our Vice President of Human Resources serves on our campaign committee each year. During many of our United Way campaigns, our company allows associates to take time during the day to attend campaign coordinator meetings and visit United Way agencies to learn more about them. Our Value Statement (see Organizational Overview) is prominently displayed at our company and communicated throughout the year and at New Employee Orientations. Our leadership team was very active in Ice Bucket challenges benefitting ALS. o o o o o o o o o Total Number of Givers Number of Leadership Givers % of Leadership Givers Percent Change % -1 % % -1 %

7 UW % of Leadership Givers number of leadership givers divided by the 2014 total number of givers UW Leadership Givers % Change number of leadership givers minus the 2013 number of leadership givers divided by 2013 number. Use a plus or minus sign to show a positive or negative % change. Standard 4 - Corporate or Foundation Contributions and Other Non-traditional and In-kind Gifts/Support State where management places the United Way Campaign within its prioritization of activities. List specific sponsorships, resources, materials, loaned executives, advertisements, videos (YouTube as an example). List specific social media activities/events/activities. Please complete the Corporate Gift table below. Up to 5 points. Cross Company considers United Way top priority for employee and corporate giving. This year the Corporate Management Team increased the company pledge to a 100% match of employee payroll deductions!! We are so proud to be company that supports our communities in such a big way. Our associates are located in cities all over the southeast. To help reach these remote associates, Management allows our United Way team to promote our campaigns with Youtube videos which creates a fun atmosphere and encourages associates to attend United Way campaign activities, if possible, and to donate. Youtube videos from 2013 campaign: Youtube videos from 2014 campaign: Year Corporate Gift Percent Change 2014 $69, % 2013 $32, %

8 2012 $31,086 Percentage change example: 2014 minus 2013 divided by Use a plus or minus sign to show a positive or negative % change. Standard 5 Employee campaign coordination, incentive and recognition Describe the work of the campaign coordinator and/or committee and list specific activities, decisions and events. Share specific incentives used in the campaign and how employees were recognized within the workforce for their contributions. Up to 5 points Cross Company s United Way Campaign Committee is made up of three members of our Human Resources department and usually four or five volunteers from other departments. Usually one person from the team will attend the United Way Campaign Coordinator meeting to receive handouts and other information from United Way. The team meets several times to plan and organize a fun-filled campaign week. Our CEO will send out the first communication about the campaign (goal and incentives), and then a member of the United Way team will send an with a list of the activities for the week. (Attachment 7 - List of Activities) Frequent reminders are sent out by individual committee members throughout the week. As noted on the attachment, we try to plan activities each day and food, of course, is included! Several of our activities are enthusiastically supported by our associates, so much so that they have been a part of our United Way campaigns for several years, i.e. golf tournament, chili cook-off, airplane toss, and corn-hole tournament. (Attachment 6 - Pictures of activities) Decisions are made by the team members with management approval. Senior leadership offers very substantial incentives for our participants encouraging them to give a little more each year. (Attachment 8 - List of incentives) Since many associates are working from home or at other locations in the Southeast, to encourage participation, our committee has engaged remote associates during each campaign with a daily photo submission contest. This is covered in more detail in Standard 7. The final activity for our campaign is the Finale where winners names are drawn for each category of giving. All of our associates look forward to it! Even if your name is not drawn, everyone who gives at least $10 per pay period receives a United Way Day off so everyone is a winner! The Grand Prize is $1000 or one week s vacation. After the campaign the company treats our United Way committee to lunch and each one receives a gift card to thank them for their work on the campaign.

9 Standard 6 - Overall Per Capita Gift Describe what employee, leadership, workplace, or community issues made a difference this year in per capita giving by employees. (Note: If campaign results increased (or decreased) by a measurable amount, it is expected that those changes were driven by some recognizable improvement or change. Example: Instituted specific goals by department for the first time equal to the corporate campaign objective which generated enthusiastic and competitive environment. Complete the employee giving and per capita giving table below. Up to 10 points* Although management encourages giving to United Way, associates are not pushed into giving. We are led to have an individual level of commitment to service which is a distinct difference from other companies. The following was sent out by a member of our United Way team right before our campaign was over. We were short of our goal, and as soon as the went out, our associates responded. We exceeded our goal by $1,964!! We feel this heartfelt plea for those in need made a huge difference in our campaign. Dear fellow associates, We have an urgent need! Today is the last day to make your United Way pledge! We have been blessed as a company with record sales and a great year financially; let s pay it forward by making an effort to help those in our community that are in need. When you left your home this morning, was the heat on? Did you have a nice warm coat and some food for breakfast? If you are a parent, are your children able to dress for cold weather and not have to go to school with an empty stomach? Unfortunately, not all people are as blessed as we are. Look into not only your wallet, but also into your heart, and if you have not yet pledged, please take a moment to do so right now. Our deadline is midnight tonight. Our total amount pledged so far is $61, with only 49% participation. This year s pledge goal is $68,000. Last year we had 56% participation. We are all very fortunate to have what we do. Let s take a moment to Step Right Up and help those in need.

10 Year Total Employee Giving Amount $69,964 $65,301 $62,455 Percent Change Total No. of Full-time Employees Employee Per Capita Percent Change +7% 170 $ % +5% 165 $ % $ Percentage change example: 2014 minus 2013 divided by Per Capita Gift: Total Employee giving Amount divided by the Total Number of Employees Use a plus or minus sign to show a positive or negative % change. Standard 7 Participation Level It is important that each employee have an opportunity to support their community through participation in the United Way campaign. How does the company make an effort to ensure all employees have an opportunity to participate? (List specific items) Does the company provide a new hires program to provide employees an immediate opportunity to give? (List specific initiatives) Describe any outreach efforts for retirees to give back to the community through United Way participation. Complete the employee giving and participation table below. Up to 10 points* The majority of our associates do not live or work in the Triad. We also conduct a separate UW campaign out of our Belmont, NC office which is also highly successful. All of our associates have an opportunity and are encouraged to participate in our United Way campaigns. United Way pledge forms are included in new hire paperwork and new hires are eligible for the United Way Day or a partial day depending on when they are hired. All communications about our campaigns are ed to all associates and the wonderful incentives offered by the company are a real encouragement to participate. One of the levels of incentives offered by the company is a New Giver or Increased Giving Club. This allows new hires or someone who has never given before to join in. Our campaign committee takes an active part in reaching out to all of our associates who may have questions. Below is an from a committee member inviting remote associates to participate in a photo challenge: Photo Challenge Participants, We wanted a way for all of our employees to engage in United Way week, and last year we had a ball with our United Way Photo Challenge so we are having one again this year! The rules are very simple and the time commitment is only what you would make it. Each day, we will you a prompt. It is up to you to take a photo that you think best represents this prompt. It can be literal, or figurative, funny, or serious it is what you make it! Scoring/judging of each photo submission will be done by the United Way Committee and each day s winner will receive a $20 gift card! We will be sending you a prompt each day (starting Monday November 3rd), so please have fun with it! In keeping with the "Step Right Up" theme, today's prompt is "The Bearded Lady" To get a feel for the game, we have attached a sample submission from Micaela Tosi! Please each day s photo submission to Brenna Albright by 5pm.

11 Year Total Number of Employees Percent Change Total Number of Givers Percent Change Percent Participation % 93 0% 55% % 93 9% 56% % Employee % change number of employees minus 2013 number of employees divided by 2013 number Givers % Change 2014 number of givers minus 2013 number of givers divided by the 2013 number

12 Attachment 1 - Agenda for 2014 Cross Company United Way Campaign Cross Company United Way Campaign Kick-Off Monday, November 3 12:00 Noon Welcome Steve E o Theme: Step Right Up o Goal: $68,000-4% increase o 100% Corporate match Introduce UW Committee Levels of Giving/ Incentives/Early Bird Drawings United Way Representative Guest Speaker United Way Video Teri M Brenna M Jane Liebscher Desmone Kearse Boys & Girls Club Jane Liebscher Activities o UW week activities o Golf Tournament Door Prize Drawings Reminder about UW Greg W Jerry B Nicole M & Micaela T Cynthia T

13 Attachment 2 - Kid s Carnival

14 Attachment 3 - Bowling Alley

15 Attachment 4 - CanPaign Pictures

16 Attachment 5 - CEO Letter To: From: Subject: Cross Company Associates Steve Earley 2014 United Way Campaign It s time to get ready for our 2014 United Way Campaign. I am always amazed at your generosity and creativity in supporting this worthy cause. I am confident I will be surprised again this year. Our campaign committee has come up with the theme Step Right Up. Seems very appropriate for an ESOP company committed to being aware of and responsive to the needs and concerns of the community. As usual, there are some fun activities planned and we are once again offering a grand prize of an extra week of vacation (or if preferred, a $1000 gift certificate) for those that make a pledge of at least $10 per pay period. Plus there are several other prize opportunities for all giving levels. Attached is a list of the incentives for various giving levels and you ll hear more about the week s activities soon from the United Way Committee. As you know, no other charitable organization does more to support those in need in our communities than United Way and they do it in a most efficient way. Fully 84% of your donations go to member agencies that provide income/financial stability, health assistance and education to fellow citizens and children who are in unfortunate circumstances, many through no fault of their own. FYI - the national average for nonprofits is about 75%. During our lifetime United Way will touch one out of every 3 people in our communities. With your contributions United Way supports critical member agencies such as: Red Cross, Hospice, the Heart Society, Crisis Ministries, Boys & Girls Clubs, Adult Day Care, Family Services, the Salvation Army, YMCA, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Rescue squads, Senior Centers and many others. Your United Way committee has set this year s corporate goal for the campaign at $68,000, a 4% increase. However, I think we can do better. I personally challenge us to get to $69,000. We can easily do that if each of us contributes a little more this year, if we can convince a few new donors to give and if we can increase our leadership giving. We will again combine remote sales office contributions with the Greensboro corporate campaign. Our AG/Belmont associates will be conducting their own separate campaign as usual.

17 Also, the company will once again match 50% of all employees pledges as a corporate contribution to United Way! (Note: the 50% match was changed to 100% match) Our campaign will run from November 3rd through November 7 th. You will receive an from United Way which will include instructions on making your pledge. And as in the past, you will be able to designate your contribution to a local United Way in your community or to an individual partner agency when you enter your pledge electronically. If you have not previously contributed to United Way, please consider doing so this year. We really hope to increase employee participation to achieve our goals. If you already contribute, please consider increasing your pledge to reflect the growing needs that the still tough economy has created. Through your hard work our company has achieved incredible financial results these last few years. However, so many of our family members, friends and neighbors have not been as fortunate as us. Remember Step Right Up. Please contribute what you can. Thanks for all you do, and thank you in advance for your generous support of this year s campaign!

18 Attachment 6 - Kick Off

19 Attachment 7 - List of Activities Activities Monday, Nov. 3 Tuesday, Nov. 4 Wednesday, Nov. 5 Thursday, Nov. 6 Friday, Nov. 7 Wednesday, Nov. 12 Kickoff - Pancake Breakfast for Lunch - Supervisors Cook Airplane Toss at 10:00 Golf Tournament - Holly Ridge Golf Course - Lunch at 11:00 Chili Cook-off and Games Corn Hole Tournament and Pizza Lunch Corn Hole Finale and Hamburger and Hot Dog Lunch Campaign Finale and Lunch - All drawings

20 Attachment 8 - List of Incentives 2014 INCENTIVES Special Prizes - For contributors of at least $10 per pay period 1. GRAND PRIZE - Your name will be in the drawing for choice of one week of vacation OR a $1000 gift card! 2. United Way Day Off for everyone at this level of giving or above. OTHER DRAWINGS GIVING LEVEL PLATINUM LEADERSHIP CLUB at least $38.46 per 2- week pay period ($ annual) INCENTIVES Two drawings for a $200 dinner gift certificate GOLD CLUB at least $20 per 2-week pay period ($520 + annual) SILVER CLUB at least $13.00 per 2-week pay period ($338 + annual) BRONZE CLUB at least $10.00 per 2-week pay period ($260 + annual) *NEW GIVER CLUB - at least $2 per 2-week pay period ($52 + annual) *INCREASED GIVING CLUB - must increase contribution by 10% One drawing for $250 Two drawings for $100 Three drawings for $100 3 drawings for $50 One drawing for $500 One drawing for $250 One drawing for $100

21 Attachment 9 - Remote Photo Contest Step Right Up Bearded Lady Strong Man Clown Pie in the Face