September 21, 2000 | Read Time: 3 minutes
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Charities could reap an additional $500-million from annual on-the-job fund-raising drives if employers and employees became more involved in planning such campaigns and made changes to revitalize them, a new report says.
The report, “Employee Workplace Campaigns at the Crossroads — Recommendations for Revitalization,” was issued by America’s Charities, a fund-raising federation of national and local charities. It is based on the recommendations of 20 people from corporations, government agencies, and non-profit groups who were selected by America’s Charities.
Payroll-deduction campaigns raise close to $4-billion annually, the report says. But participation in such charity drives has declined from about 47 percent of all employees a decade ago to 35 percent today. That decline means a loss of about 5 million donors, or about $500-million each year, says Don Sodo, president of America’s Charities.
“Truly we are in a crisis,” Mr. Sodo says. “Far less money is being given than the potential, and I don’t think people are aware of it.”
Fund-raising federations such as the United Ways, America’s Charities, and others are acutely aware of the decline, however, and have been working hard to revamp their drives, especially by incorporating technological innovations (The Chronicle, August 24).
The America’s Charities report offers a list of reasons that on-the-job campaigns are suffering, as well as recommendations for how to improve them. One reason the campaigns are in trouble, the report says, is that younger employees are not as likely to participate as their older colleagues. What’s more, they don’t see the value in supporting charitable causes through the umbrella organizations that run the campaigns. And, the report adds, not enough senior managers are involved in planning and supporting the drives.
Among the report’s recommendations to help solve those problems:
- Integrate the campaign with the company’s other charitable programs, such as matching gifts and employee volunteer programs. One way to do this is to choose a common name for all of the company’s charitable activities, and to include the payroll-deduction campaign in promotional literature about giving activities. “The same spirit that companies bring to promote volunteerism by employees needs to be part of the workplace campaign,” Mr. Sodo says.
- Get both senior officials and employees involved in planning and carrying out the drive, rather than relying entirely on a charity federation. “It’s only now that companies are beginning to take ownership of campaigns,” Mr. Sodo says. “If any company starts with that, they will find that they will have a rejuvenated, employee-driven, employee-appreciated campaign.”
- Use technology to reach new donors, provide information about charities to employees, and help administer the campaign. But, the report cautions, do not let an automated pledge process take the place of personal involvement.
Says Mr. Sodo, “You can’t replace the personal touch that a campaign needs.”
The report “Employee Workplace Campaigns at the Crossroads — Recommendations for Revitalization” is available free at the America’s Charities Web site, http://www.charities.org. To request copies by e-mail, send a message to info@charities.org or call (800) 458-9505.
