Workplace Giving Solutions

One indicator of success for a fund raising campaign or a volunteer time tracking campaign is the percentage of employees that participate. During the current economic downturn it can be especially hard to get employees to participate. Following are some ideas to boost employee participation.

Ease of access:            The easier it is for your employees to get to and use the site the more likely they are to participate in the program. The site should be easy to access as with a link from your intranet.

Link placement:         A link to your program site(s) should be placed on your intranet. The link should be clearly visible, attractive and should easily direct users to the campaign site.

Ease of use:                Try to make the site as easy to use as possible.  Provide enough detail and instruction on the site so that it is self-explanatory and gift giving is accomplished with a few simple clicks.

Advertise your site:   There are a couple of ways of doing this:

·         Post fliers around your offices in high profile locations; time clock, break rooms, bathroom doors

·         Send emails out prior to the start of the campaign, and at least once during the campaign. For year-round fund raising campaigns or volunteer time tracking send them out periodically thru the year. Design your email reminders so you will get the attention of potential donors.

·         Place special notices on the intranet

 

Training:                     Provide training to employees in how to use the system; demonstrate how easy it is to use. Employees that are more familiar with how to use and navigate a site are more likely to use it.

 

Education about the program:        Educateyour employees about the importance of the campaign and the benefit to communities which results from their participation.

 

Incentives:                  Provide incentives for participation. Some examples are:

·         Special privileges to the department with the highest percentage of participation

·         Drawing for participants only

·         A special drawing or prize going either to a participant volunteer or to the charity of the winner’s choice for volunteering over a set number of hours.

·         For those who volunteer over a set number of hours Special recognition in a company newsletter.

·         Participation certificates for first time participants and for continued participation.

 

Relevance:                  Try to incorporate charities that not only complement your business, but also those that the employees are familiar with and active with in some way. For example, highlight the top 5 charities from the previous year’s campaign or perhaps plan a “day of caring” organizing a team of volunteers to help at top charities from the previous year.

Feedback:                   Design an area on the site which allows your employees to provide feedback. about the site, the program itself. Solicit their ideas for how to improve the entire program; from the site to the charities to the incentives. Make sure they know their input is important.