Heart of Illinois United Way: Coordinator Corner

Campaign Themes and Ideas

Ideas for Developing a Theme | List of Fun Campaign Activities
Sample 15-25 Minute Employee Meeting |Helpful Hints for Your Employee Meetings

Ideas for Developing a Theme

One of the best ways to capture the attention of your fellow co-workers is to build your campaign around a theme and to use fun incentives. Below are some ideas to get you started.

Theme: Sports/Olympics

Suggested Names

Be a Champion for the United Way
Teaming Up for Tomorrow

Possible Events

Pep Rally Kickoff
Office Olympics
Elevator or Chair Races

Ideas for Incentives

Medals or Blue Ribbons to Winning Team and Donors
Sports Events Tickets

Theme: Summertime

Suggested Names:

Caring is Cool
Be a Lifesaver . . . Give to the United Way

Possible Events:

Employee Cookout or BBQ
Casual Day for the United Way

Ideas for Incentives:

Free Vacation Day
Squeeze Bottles
Tickets or Passes to Pools and Summer Attractions

Theme: Back to School

Suggested Names:

Give - It’s Elementary
The ABC’s of Caring

Possible Events:

United Way Pop Quiz
Sack Lunch Swap
Bubble Gum Contest
Spelling Bee

Ideas for Incentives:

Long Recess (longer break or time off)
Good Job Stickers
Apples and Treats

Theme: Lights! Camera! Action!

Suggested Names:

Reach for the Stars
You’re a Star! When you give to the United Way

Possible Events:

Old Video Sale
Star Struck Trivia
Movie Star-Style Party

Ideas for Incentives:

Hall of Fame (place names of donors on star in the hallway)
Movie Passes
Fresh Popped Popcorn (UW has popcorn bags available)

List of Fun Campaign Activities

Have a superhero luncheon; include items like hero sandwiches, power bars, Gatorade, Powerade, Wheaties, spinach, etc.

Take photos of employee Superheroes with short quotes on why they contribute to United Way. Post prominently or run in employee newsletter or on company intranet/website.

Hold a Funniest Home Video contest.

Hold a craft/bake sale where employees sell their own creations.

Hold a Chili Cook-Off/Soup Cook-Off, where employees vote on the best chili/soup with dollar contributions.

Display a Wishing Well for United Way in your lobby where people can drop spare change. Use the theme, “A little change makes a lot of sense.”

Hold a Balloon Pop event. Before filling balloons, put a note inside with the name of prize. Employees pay $2 to buy a balloon and pop it to find out what prize they’ve won. Include a United Way fact on every note.

Hold a Lunch Box Auction. Employees supply lunches to be auctioned off. Display the lunches or advertise each one on a different note card. Tie-in a guest speaker from a United Way funded food pantry.

Hold a baby photo or grade school photo contest. Charge each employee to vote on his or her guesses.

Take pictures of representatives from different departments looking their most stressed. Hang the pictures in a central location with containers by each picture. People can vote for their favorite “stressee” with a quarter or a dollar per vote. The person with the most stress, a.k.a. votes, wins!

Conduct a Plus 2 campaign by asking everyone to increase their pledge by $2 per pay period. Give special recognition to those who increase their pledge.

Chili pepper theme – Our employees are red hot. Daily e-mails with UW facts and a recipe with peppers. Last day - a “Red-Hot Cook-Off” between departments.

The Spare Change Challenge - departments collect spare change and chart their totals on a campaign thermometer. Winners of the challenge receive lunch put on by the losing department managers.

Let’s Go to the Hop Car Rally - lunch served by managers to employees to in their cars.

Design-A-Hole - teams design a miniature golf hole with the winning design chosen through “penny jar” voting. Everyone plays the holes Friday p.m.

United Way Care-a-Van – rent a bus to do on-site agency tours.

Sundae-As-You-Go-Go – combine an ice cream social with an agency fair, with each booth offering one part of the sundae.

Batter-Up! - basketball shoot-outs, volleyball tournaments, softball tournaments - anything to get the team into play! Charge entry team fees or have voting for the best named or best costumed team.

Get the Competition Started - have departments compete in scavenger hunts, tricycle/scooter races, remote control/race car contests, penny pushes, etc.

A Way to One’s Heart is Through Their Stomach - plan potluck lunches, pancake breakfasts, bake sales, dessert auctions, etc.

Dress-Em Down Day - for $2 or $5 donations let staff dress casual or in blue jeans (UW can provide stickers).

Dress-Em Up Day - hold a contest for silly hats, ties, costumes, etc. Or let employees dress their managers for a day.

Sample 15-25 Minute Employee Campaign Meeting Agenda

Greet employees!
Distribute brochures & personalized contribution cards with the amount of last year’s gift indicated.
Outline purpose of meeting.
Introduce CEO and/or labor representative.

Endorsement by CEO and labor representative describing why they personally support United Way.
Announcement of corporate gift by CEO.

Introduce speaker (agency rep., United Way rep., or an employee)
Benefits of giving to United Way.
Video (Discuss the order of video & presentation with speaker before the meeting.)

Thank the speaker!
Explain the contributor card and payroll deduction.
Ask employees to consider giving to United Way.
Ask employees to complete and hand in their contributor cards before they leave.
Answer any questions.
Thank employees for their support.

Helpful Hints

Include FOOD. Popcorn, cookies, pretzels, fruit, doughnuts or ice cream are always a hit.
Get a few prizes donated or raffle extra vacation time, casual days, parking spaces, etc.
Publicize prize drawings in the meeting’s advance notice.
Announce the contributor card collection procedure.
Thank employees for their attention and interest in your UW campaign.