Every bit helps: how giving through campaigns can have a major impact on the community

Every year, around $5 billion is raised through workplace giving campaigns — employer-sponsored programs that provide employees the opportunity to give to a charitable cause — showing that grassroots giving remains an effective way to generate major donations.

Not only does this money directly benefit causes in the community and beyond, but it also increases employee engagement and positive workplace culture. In fact, a 2016 study of Millennial employee engagement showed that over half of those surveyed wouldn't take a job if the company didn't have strong social responsibility values.

Around the Triangle, United Way, a nonprofit committed to eradicating poverty and increasing social mobility through the power of partnerships, helps connect businesses with other nonprofits in need, supporting the organization of valuable workplace giving campaigns. At Deloitte, for example — a company that provides audit, consulting, tax and advisory services — its recent giving campaign in partnership with United Way raised $160,000, exceeding their initial goal.

"We've had many successful campaigns over the years. I think a large part of that is because the United Way has been great about bringing people from local nonprofit organizations they partner with to help us at Deloitte better understand where the money goes and what they do with it — directly seeing the impact that our fundraising efforts has really brings everything to life," said David Haines, managing partner of Deloitte's office in Raleigh and a board member for United Way of the Greater Triangle. "United Way helps educate us on the impact we can make in the community through its support of other nonprofit organizations; our people are smart, but also hard working and busy – and getting that trusted advice from the United Way on how we can build and create equity in the Raleigh area really resonates with them."

While Haines said employee participation is never an issue, the managing partners at Deloitte also kick in things like tickets and gift cards for those who donate.

"It's small stuff to show appreciation, and then we usually have a kickoff breakfast as well as a wrap-up happy hour at the end of the campaign," Haines said. "It gives us the chance to get away from our normal work roles, get together as a group and share what's going on in the community."

At Durham's M&F Bank, a similar partnership with United Way bolsters the company's success in workplace giving campaigns.

According to Jim Sills, president and CEO of M&F Bank and M&F Bancorp, Inc., the company has had a relationship with United Way for over 25 years. In that time, they've seen great success with their workplace giving campaigns, and in 2019, they had 100% participation.

"We meet with our associates once a week — every Tuesday. When we are in campaign mode, we make sure we're giving them the results in terms of where we are related to the overall dollar goal, and the participation rate," said Sills. "United Way touches everybody in our community — your income level does not matter. It makes it more impactful when people hear real stories on how they have benefited from United Way from their friends, their neighbors or their coworkers regarding how a particular non-profit has supported their family."

For both Sills and Haines, support from upper management in their companies has been integral in the implementation and success of their workplace campaigns. For Sills, as the internal United Way coordinator, that means attending United Way kickoff events and engaging associates to bring in donations through contests and giveaways.

At Deloitte, Haines emphasizes similar sentiment, with the addition of careful, consistent planning.

"We've come up with a system where people serve as the manager of the campaign two years in a row, and the person who will succeed them tags along for that last year to learn how to run things. It makes everything go smoothly, because we already have all of the logistics sorted," said Haines. "For us, a lot of success also lies in partnering very closely with organizations that we like to support and having them come out to our office. We're able to hear people share their mission, what they've been able to accomplish and what their goals are. We hear from around three organizations a year, and it really makes all the difference in bringing our support to life."