Posted on Behalf of Cathi Mohan and Marcia Starkey Resource Development, United Way of the Battle Creek & Kalamazoo Region 

Each of us has been involved in United Way campaigns for a number of years—we won’t say how many, but trust us, it’s more than a few! And we’ve learned there are many ways to gauge the success of a campaign by our corporate supporters. 

One, of course, is to look at how much money is raised to support the work of United Way in the community. Another is how creative a campaign is and how much employees get involved.

Here are a few examples of what local companies and organizations have done to make their campaigns fun and get folks excited about supporting United Way:

•Raffles are always a popular approach. They’re run differently from company to company, but the basics are usually the same. Employees pledge a certain amount, and they’re entered in a drawing for any number of things. Among our favorites are reserved parking spaces near the workplace entrance, especially popular come wintertime; getting the boss to do your job for half a day or a full day (Dr. Linda Hicks at Battle Creek Public Schools and Calhoun County Sheriff Matt Saxton have both done this); lunch with the boss or a celebrity; and even replacing the boss for a day.

•Some companies give a day off for pledging at a certain amount. One big manufacturer gives a personal  holiday for any employees that pledge 1 percent or more of their base salary to United Way. Others have given employees their birthdays off if they give at a certain level.

•A few organizations let employees wear blue jeans or their favorite sport team jersey if they give an extra donation. Others designate days to wear those items or costumes and such simply as part of the fun of a campaign.

•We know of one company that held a car and motorcycle show as part of their campaign kick-off. Employees got to vote for their favorites with $1 donations, and the winners received plaques. At the same time, their leadership team members participated in dunk tanks, and employees paid for the opportunity to send them swimming.

•At another local organization, employees volunteer to deliver singing candy-grams. A $5 donation for United Way gets sweets and a song delivered to a co-worker, complete with appropriate costumes. They sold 200 of those during this year’s campaign!

That’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg—and a great part of being involved in United Way campaigns each year. These creative ideas remind us of the commitment and enthusiasm for United Way by employees and employers alike!