Seven Steps to a Successful Campaign | Best Practices

The Job of a Campaign Coordinator

 Step #1: SECURE SECC SUPPORT FROM TOP MANAGEMENT.

Your agency director’s involvement is key to the campaign and can make the difference in how truly successful your campaign is.  Top level support demonstrates that the entire agency is behind the campaign.  Having support from the top will lay the foundation for a successful campaign, no matter the size, structure or culture of a federal agency.

Keys to Success:

• Management should be visible and speak in support of the SECC at all campaign events.
• Ask management to promote the SECC at all regularly scheduled staff meetings.

 Step #2: SET GOALS AND TRACK RESULTS.

Everyone needs something to strive for and your SECC campaign is no exception.  Establishing a realistic but aggressive goal creates excitement among your employees.  Analyzing past campaigns will help you plan this year’s campaign.

Keys to Success:

• Meet with your SECC Representative to review previous campaign history.
• Set an obtainable campaign goal.
• Track campaign results throughout the campaign.
• ***Publicize your results to the employees throughout the campaign.
• Report your results to the SECC.

Step #3: RECRUIT A CAMPAIGN TEAM.

Let’s face it..you cannot do it all on your own. AND, since we want this to be a team effort…you should not have to!

Campaigners provide face-to-face interaction giving them the opportunity to personalize the campaign and to answer any questions employees may have.

Keys to Success:

• Select employees who have high energy, possess good communication skills and are respected within your agency.
• Get campaigns volunteers excited about the campaign.
• Conduct a team training session.  Ask your LCM to help.
• Educate the campaign team on the impact their role has on the success of the campaign.
• Ask campaign volunteers to make their pledges at the training.
• Say “thank you” to each employee for their pledge and their time.

 Step #4: CONDUCT A LEADERSHIP GIVING CAMPAIGN.

Leadership Giving is the most effective way to increase your employee campaign results.  Membership in the Leadership Giving Program begins with an annual commitment of $240 or more.

Leadership Giving makes the largest impact on services in our community!

Keys to Success:

• Focus on the ease of giving at a leadership level at staff meetings and when meeting with colleagues personally.
• Just $10 a pay period will put them in the Leadership Giving Level.

Step #5: EDUCATE, ENGAGE AND INVOLVE YOUR EMPLOYEES.

Speakers, tours, and fairs are the best way to open their eyes.  Charity is always someone else’s problem until you hear the stories of those who benefit from it…then it hits home!

Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!  Keeping your employees excited about the campaign increases awareness of the SECC, increases donations and increases participation.  People give if they are well informed.

Keys to Success:

• Kickoff your campaign incorporating a fun theme, food and door prizes…this is the best way to motivate and generate excitement among your employees.  (Publicize your kickoff!)
• Host an Agency Fair at the kickoff or other special event.
• Show the SECC video.
• Ask a co-worker who has benefited from a charity to share their story.
• Invite agency speakers to illustrate the importance of giving to the SECC.
• Offer an informal Brown Bag Agency Tour opportunity.
• Provide incentives for turning in Pledge Cards before employees leave the kickoff.

92% of the donors surveyed in 2004 felt employee meetings helped increase donor awareness of the needs in our community and helped raise campaign visibility.

Step #6: ASK EVERYONE TO GIVE.

The main reason people do not give to the SECC is because they are never asked.  Do not let this happen in your organization!

Publicize examples of what services donors’ dollars can provide (See example below).

The SECC is a designation campaign, which gives the donor the power to choose.  Also, illustrate the affordability of contributions to the SECC (See below).

Keys to Success:

• Ask management to set the example by pledging to the SECC.
• Utilize campaigner volunteers to distribute campaign materials, collect Pledge Cards, and answer questions.
• Do not forget to ask off-site and remote employees to give.
• Discuss the Leadership Giving Program with donors.
• Encourage past donors to increase their gift.
• Help donors fill out their Pledge Form.
• Remember: the personal asking is the key.

Encourage Payroll Deduction – This is the easiest way to donate to the SECC and is the preferred method as well.

• It’s simple…just fill out your pledge form and you can give to your favorite charity all year long.
• It’s easy on the pocketbook…a smaller donation taken out of your paycheck each pay period is a painless way to give.
• It’s more effective…payroll deduction allows you to give larger donations easily. 
•   It helps the charities year-round.
• You don’t miss what you don’t see!

One-Time Gift (check or cash).  Employees can still designate which charities they wish to donate to with a one time gift.

Step #7:  say thank you !!

Perhaps the most important aspect to this campaign is appreciating those who donate their hard-earned dollars.

Ask yourself the question…if you went out of your way to help someone, and they never even acknowledged it…would you do it again?

Keys to Success

• Host the celebration as soon as possible after your campaign ends & SHARE the results!
• Ask management to publicly thank donors & campaign team.
• Create certificates, write personal thank you notes, hang a public banner displaying the totals…are all opportunities to say THANKS!