The important key to a successful campaign is to plan, plan and plan. If most of the ideas and concepts are ironed out and set before the campaign, you will find that the campaign practically runs itself. Below are some quick tips to help you plan a successful workplace fundraising campaign with Community Shares of Mid Ohio.

• Review campaign materials and pledge form so that you can answer questions from fellow employees.
  
  
• Depending on the size of your company, you may need to recruit assistance from other departments to make sure pledge forms and information reaches all employees. If this is the case, forming a Campaign Committee to spread out the work will give you a great advantage.
  
  
• If you form a Campaign Committee, invite important leaders to join such as department directors, vice presidents, and your CEO.
  
  
• Set the start and end dates for your campaign and be aware of the length of your campaign. Give yourself enough time to reach out to all employees but also be aware that a campaign lasting too long may result in burn out and low participation.  Experience shows two weeks is an optimal time frame.
  
  
• Plan for involvement of employees in the campaign. The more involvement and promotion your campaign receives in the workplace, the more successful it will be. Check out the Campaign Promotion and Incentives section for great tips and ideas!
  
  
• Please feel free to call Community Shares of Mid Ohio or email with any questions. We are always happy to help!
  

The campaign kick-off event can essentially set the tone for your entire campaign. The more excitement and involvement you create for employees the more likely they will be to contribute! Below are some quick tips to help make your campaign kick-off a success!

• Plan and announce a fun kickoff party! This could be a special informational meeting or incorporated into one of your regular staff meetings. Look at Samples for the 10-minute campaign plan to help jumpstart your campaign kick-off plans!
  
  
• Ask your CEO and other important company leaders to attend the kickoff party.
  
  
• Keep the communication interesting, informative and motivating!
  
  
• Call us to schedule a speaker: a Shares representative and/or a representative of one of its member agencies. The speaker can be very brief if needed, from 5-10 minutes. Hearing from one of our agencies is a great way to learn first-hand how Community Shares supports its agencies and how workplace donations make a difference in the work they do. It's also very effective to have one of your own employees speak about an agency they support.
  
  
• Personally hand out pledge forms to your co-workers. This increases the likelihood that they will participate in the campaign.