It’s been proven…United Way Campaigns are more successful when employees feel good. If you want a campaign that has a boost of excitement and provides an opportunity for camaraderie for the employees of your organization, then here are a few ideas that are easy and fun. Choose one or several to enhance your campaign. And, remember…HAVE FUN!
Have ideas of your own? Tell us about them!
Humorous or Informative Payroll Stuffers
• Donuts with a sign that says “DOUGHNIT” Make sense to give to the United Way
• Pennies with a note that says, “It Makes cents to give to United Way.”
• A candle with a note that says, “You Can Light Up a Life”.
• Or, a roll of Lifesavers candy with the note that says, “Be a Lifesaver: Give to United Way”.
Take a Day Off
Nothing motivates like time off! If employees meet a goal, add their name into a drawing for a full or half day off with pay.
I Dress This Way for United Way
Employees pay a fee, donate for the first time, or above a certain level to dress casual on a certain day, and wear a label that says, “I dress this way for United Way.” Define what is meant by casual to avoid confusion. Invite your employees to “go crazy” during casual days. Designate days for Crazy Days such as “Stupid Hat Day”, “Silly Socks Day”, Flip Flop
Days, etc.
Parking Space
Raffle a parking space for a month, quarter, or year, or sell a United Way Parking Spot in a silent auction.
Potluck Lunch and Learn
Have employees bring a dish for lunch. You may want to set a theme such as, Italian Food, Mexican Food, International, Vegetarian, etc. Don’t forget desserts! You can also tie-in a chili-cook off and have judges identify the best, hottest and most unusual dish. Decorate with posters sharing United Way messages, or have a speaker talk about what United Way is and means to them.
Drawing
If you give at a certain level (or just for participating), your name goes into a drawing to be held at the discretion of the coordinator. Solicit vendors or local merchants to donate prizes. Suggested prizes include movie tickets, gift certificates, phone cards, gasoline cards, or breakfast/lunch served by management.
Horse/Matchbox Cars Race
Draw a picture of a racetrack on large sheet of butcher paper. Employees race their entry by purchasing increments of a track. You may want to purchase a pack of plastic toy horses or cars for this event at a discount store. Track each department's progress as the donations are made.
Executive Chair Race (or “Execu-Glide”)
Set up a relay course for executives to go through sitting on chairs or on tricycles. Use a stopwatch to time contestants, with the best time winning a prize. Observers can even wager $1.00 on their favorite contestant.
Employee Guessing Events/Trivia Questions
• The company’s grand total given to the community
• The per capita gift of the organization
• Community needs questions (“How many homeless people live in our community?)
• The amount of candy (Jelly Beans or M&Ms or other items in a jar
• Whose knees are these?
• Have an employee baby picture contest
• Guess whose pet belongs to which employee
• Guess middle names or unknown initials
• Play “I’ve got a secret” - Get a secret from employees that nobody knows (and they are willing to tell). Place the secrets on a sheet of paper and list the secrets 1-10 etc. Then add the names of those employees who gave you a secret below the list of secrets. Participating employees have to pair the secret with the employee.
Office Olympics
Office Olympics will test the skills of your office staff. This game will require your employees to do every day office tasks as a race with the winning team receiving a grand prize. Have your office sign-up for a team (or you can create the teams) making them as diverse in skills as possible. Make sure each team has a fun name. Create an obstacle course in the lunchroom, several offices, several floors of the office, or outside. Each station will require a specific skill such as:
• typing a memo accurately (deductions for typos!)
• filing a stack of paperwork correctly (again, deductions for mis-files)
• a difficult photocopying task requiring two-sided, collated, stapled, or booklet printing.
• Create a spreadsheet with a specific set of instructions
• Make a telephone call to get specific information such as flight times, bus schedules, scores from yesterday’s baseball game
• Proof read a document circling all of the errors
• Print out a map from the internet for a specific location
• Make a pot of coffee in the break room
