Campaign Tools
Thank you for choosing United Way of Dane County as your philanthropic partner of choice! We connect the dots between the change you want to see in our community and those who make it happen. United Way helps engage employees, develop team members and retain top talent.
Every minute and dollar we invest in our community will help stabilize families and make our community stronger. With your help, we can more toward a Dane County where everyone can succeed in school, work and life.
We are grateful to you as an Employee Campaign Manager for going above and beyond to engage your employees and raise funds for our community. Please use this page as a step-by-step guide to plan, execute, promote and celebrate your United Way of Dane County campaign! Download this fillable Campaign Planning Worksheet to record your plans and share with your United Way liaison.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, please reach out to us. We’re here to help!
Getting Started
Whether this is your first year running a campaign or you are a seasoned pro, these materials will help you understand why your campaign is so important and show you the impact your dollars make. Learn about:
- United Way of Dane County’s mission and our impact.
- Our new Plan for Community Well-Being, helping more families and individuals get what they need in the areas of early childhood, income and health.
- United Way 211, Dane County’s more comprehensive health and human services database.
- Our commitment to racial equity – United Way of Dane County publicly recognizes racism as a public health crisis, understands racism as a root cause of inequity in our society, stands in total opposition to all acts of racism and discrimination and is actively working to become anti-racist.
Resources
2021 Community Impact Report
Agenda for Change Snapshots
United Way 211 Snapshot
United Way 211 Call
Recruit a team to help make your campaign as successful and stress-free as possible. Team members provide great ideas, support for your campaign and will help you create a more engaging and compelling message. Recruit from all areas in you organization.
- Include different departments
- Consider unique skills such as communication, creativity and energy
- Include varying seniority levels on your team
- Ask your CEO and other leaders throughout your organizations to help on your campaign team
Setting your timeline and nailing down how you will share your content should be done as early as possible to ensure a smooth campaign.
Set Your Campaign Timeline
- Set your start/end dates and kickoff events and communicate them with your United Way Liaison. Determine the length of your campaign, whether you will host in-person or virtual events and the dates for those events.
Determine Pledge Platform
- Provide convenience for your employees through ePledge or prep a data file for personalized paper pledge forms to share with your Loaned Executive after your first meeting.
- If employees are making a pledge through payroll deduction, to the extent allowed by your employer, United Way of Dane County can accept pledge forms that have a digital signature. Please include both sides of the pledge form when submitting. Pledge forms can be emailed to donate@uwdc.org or mailed to: PO Box 7548 Madison, WI 53707-7548
Resources
ePledge
2023 Fillable Pledge Form (Spanish)
Use the resources below to create a successful campaign. A strong campaign should include an educational element, an empathy-building element and an exciting element. Keep it simple and fun using the tools below:
Special Events
- Special events motivate and promote team spirit, raise awareness around community needs adn raise money to support family well-being. Consider including in-person or virtual special events to bring employees together, support our community and have fun! Click here for ideas!
Engagements
- Educate and engage your employees by utilizing a customized engagement. These have been built to help employees understand the obstacles our neighbors in Dane County live through each and every day.
Volunteering
- Provide a volunteer opportunity for employees. Encourage your employees to attend Community Kickoff, utilize VolunteerYourTime.org to find opportunities or request information about corporate volunteer opportunities through the Business Volunteer Network.
Incentives
- Incentives motivate and promote giving, advocating and volunteering. To encourage participation, consider adding incentives for attending meetings, submitting pledge forms or increasing annual gift.
Resources
2023 Limited Resources Engagement: Activity Sheet
2023 Limited Resources Engagement: Facilitator Guide
2023 Special Events Recipe Book
It’s important to communicate to all groups at your company throughout the campaign. Use these tips to thank donors, encourage participation in United Way groups and engage new audiences.
Thank Past Donors
- Thank past donors at the beginning of the campaign. Past donors are the base of your campaign, let them know you appreciate their support and encourage them to renew and increase their gift.
Promote Donor Networks and Affinity Groups
- Promote donor networks and affinity groups throughout the campaign. These groups are focused on bringing together link-minded people and making a difference in Dane County.
- Lead United is our new donor network cultivating community-minded individuals to lead in their workplace, in our community and through their philanthropy. This group of local leaders is invested, compassionate and focused on understanding Dane County’s critical issues and achieving professional growth. Donate $1,000 or more per household to become a member of Lead United. donors can also join through the Lead United Step-Up Program – donors give $500 this year and commit to grow their gift to $1,000 over 3 years.
- Women United is a diverse circle engaging women as an emerging and powerful philanthropic force. This group is impacting and investing in the future of the community through education.
- LINC (Lead. Impact. Network. Change.) is a volunteer-driven group that learns about the issues facing our community and personally helps make a difference. It is an opportunity to elevate your community, connections and calendar through unique volunteer events, then connect over food and drinks!
Engage Retiring and New Employees
- Retirees – Invite retirees to continue giving with your organization’s campaign to keep them connected with your events and increase the impact of your campaign.
- New Hires – Include campaign information and a pledge form when onboarding new employees. This shows your company’s social responsibility and invites new employees to start participating before your annual campaign.
Resources
Having a clear communication plan is key to a successful campaign. Use the tips below to keep your campaign fun and top of mind with your employees.
Develop a Communication Plan
- Decide how often and what type of communications you’ll be sending. Some examples include CEO Endorsement Communications (could be an email, letter or video), invitations to United Way Events or craft an email campaign.
Use Social Media
- Use Social Media to spread the word about your campaign. Follow and tag us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
Update Employees on Campaign Progress
- Send participation levels and dollars “in” to date to keep working towards your campaign goal through your intranet or an email. If you have successes, share on social media and tag @unitedwaydaneco!
Resources
2023 Telling the United Way Story
2023 Sample CEO Endorsement Letter
Congrats on your successful campaign. Connect with your United Way Liaison about results and next steps.
- Take Time to Celebrate! Because of you and your hard work, your company has raised funds that will help create lasting change in our community!
- Report Results to your United Way Liaison to debrief final results, document your campaign results and identify campaign strengths and opportunities. Take a moment to enjoy this time, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate your successes and start planning for next year.
- Conduct Follow-Up with any individuals who missed the campaign deadline or were out of the office during the campaign. Ask your Liaison if you need donor details.
- Thank All Donors through personalized messages or by hosting an event. As we mentioned before, employee donations are the base of your campaign. Make sure everyone feels appreciated and happy with their participation in the annual campaign.
Resources
Video Gallery
2023 Impact – A Safe & Stable Place to Start: Awa’s Story
2023 Impact – My Best Self : Michelle’s Story
2023 Impact – Creating Positive Change: Frank’s Story
2022 United Way of Dane County Partners Video
2022 United Way Sees the Big Picture
How United Way Works: Fighting Family Homelessness
What’s Next?
It’s never too early to begin planning for next year. Consider year-round engagements and get involved with United Way outside of the campaign. And save the date for Community Celebration on March 1, 2023 at Monona Terrace!