FAQ

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FAQ

Will A Community Works’ workplace giving campaign interfere with our commitment to agencies we already fund?

When employees are given additional options, overall giving increases. A 1998 study* of America’s leading companies showed that overall giving increased in 90 percent of companies where a broader range of options was made available to employees through the annual campaign. This is compared to 79 percent in United Way only campaigns.

Doesn’t our existing campaign already ask a lot of our employees?

One of the things we’ve heard from employees is that they really appreciate having a choice. The environmental, economic development, health education, and social justice groups in Community Works are truly distinct from united fund agencies and draw many people into the campaign who otherwise might not participate.

Will more choice undermine support for community services?

No. A combined campaign guarantees that everyone who wants to contribute to other agencies may continue to do so. Having a choice encourages employees to look more closely at these other agencies and better understand their unique role in the community.

If United Way allows Donor Choice why should we include Community Works?

Donor Choice offers several new options for giving within the United Way, but it places little emphasis upon outside designations. Generally, it’s rare that someone will make a charitable gift without good information about the organization. For Community Works, educating employees about our member organizations is the most important objective of all, and that’s something the Donor Choice format doesn’t allow us to do. Community Works gives our member organizations visibility as well as funding.

We do not have a charitable campaign at our workplace. Why not just let employees continue to make their own contributions outside the workplace?

Charitable payroll deductions benefit both the donor and recipient. Payroll deduction makes giving easy and provides the donor with a range of charitable choices each year. Studies show that the average donor contributes three to five times as much through payroll deduction as through individual contributions.

Workplace campaigns reach out to people who might not otherwise get involved. Employees appreciate their company offering them the opportunity to help in this way, especially if the choices are varied and the giving environment is not coercive. Simply passing out envelopes that they can mail to Community Works does not work nearly as well.

(1/05)* “Valuing Employee Involvement” (May 1998), The Consulting Network