Environmental
Federation of Oregon
P.O. Box 40333
Portland, OR 97240
(503) 223-9015
info@efo.org

Campaign Coordinators Tips for a Successful Campaign

Tips for a Successful Campaign

1. Enlist the support of management.
   Leadership from management can make an enormous difference for a campaign. It may be in the form of a letter of endorsement, participation in fundraising events, or being an advocate at a staff meeting.
   
   
2. Solicit volunteers or form a Combined Campaign Committee.
   They can be a great help in organizing the campaign. Don't try to do it all yourself. Getting more people involved takes the load off of you and also means that more people are invested in the success of the campaign.
   
   
3. Set up a planning meeting.
   Invite your volunteers or Coordinating Committee and representatives from the participating funds and federations (EFO, Black United Fund, United Way, etc.) to discuss the plan. Often times the charitable organizations can help in ways you hadn't thought of. This meeting can be used to:
   
   
   • Set realistic goals, based on dollars and/or participation
     
     
   • Determine the dates of your campaign
     
     
   • Create your campaign timeline. If you plan on conducting a kickoff event and/or fundraising events, set the dates as early as possible, and if you like, request guest speakers from the participating funds and federations
     
     
   • Make decisions about recognition. Some workplaces recognize donors and/or volunteers with small gifts, awards, a letter from the CEO, a vacation day, a cookie, or a special note
     
     
   • Establish how many brochures, posters and pledge forms (if you don't create your own) you'll need from the funds/federations and by when
     
     
   • Decide on how you plan to distribute brochures and pledge forms, whether they'll be hand delivered or sent with paychecks
     
     
4. Schedule department meetings and/or events.
   It's never too early to get on the agenda for existing meetings or to arrange for separate campaign presentation meetings. EFO's research has shown that 70% of our donors are inspired to give to us from attending a presentation. It's very helpful to hear directly from the recipient organizations. Giving the funds/federations lots of notice allows us to get the best presenter for your event. If presentations don't work into your schedule, consider inviting representatives to participate in a fair over lunch with informational booths and displays.
   
   
5. Actively publicize the campaign.
   Request materials from EFO and other funds and federations to help you publicize the campaign well before it starts. On this website EFO has testimonials, lists of our member groups' accomplishments, our logo, and much more. You can use these for in-house publications or to distribute by email to inform people about their options.
   
   
6. Kick-off the campaign with fun and food.
   This never fails to inspire enthusiasm! On the same day, distribute combined pledge cards with agency brochures and a letter of support from your CEO or president. This shows employees that there is strong support for community giving at all levels within your company. Include information on when pledge cards are due and to whom they should be returned.
   
   
7. Promote the campaign while it's happening.
   Use participating funds' and federations' materials such as posters and displays to raise awareness. Publicize this year's goal and make sure employees know whom to contact with questions. There are many fun fundraisers (cake walks, used book sales, cook-offs) that can help keep the momentum and raise extra funds!
   
   
8. Collect pledge cards & calculate your success.
   Calculate the overall total for each fund and federation and the final total. Be sure to include the company match, if there is one. You do not need to track designated contributions to specific agencies within EFO or other funds/federations, but you may be interested in results by department or site. Often these reports can be made by the payroll department. Return copies of pledge cards and a report to EFO and other agencies involved. Make sure each fund and federation has a copy of all pledge cards relating to their organization. If you have a combined pledge form that doesn't have multiple copies, photocopies will need to be made.
   
   
9. Share the news about the results of the campaign.
   Let employees know about the effect of their generosity. Take every opportunity to announce the results by posting it, emailing it around, and publicizing it through in-house newsletters. Request that your CEO make a public thank you through the voicemail system or at an all-company meeting.
   
   
10. Thank your participants and volunteers.
    This could be with notes, a certificate, a luncheon or breakfast, or with small items donated by the funds and federations. Above all, pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
    
    
11. Evaluate your campaign and jot down any ideas or suggestions for next year.
    Hold an evaluation meeting with the Combined Campaign Committee and the participating funds/federations to see if there are any improvements that could be made or ways that your job could be made easier.
    
    
12. Contact us if you have any questions about any of these tips.
    EFO's campaign director, Sandi Scheinberg, can be reached at 503-223-9015 and sjs@efo.org. We are here to help!