“We Want You”How to Recruit Your Team & How to Make The Ask!

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

Your Name

Your Company

Your Role

Approximate number of employees

Agenda

1. Objectives

2. Video, The Reluctant Canvasser

3. How to Build Your Team

4. Canvassing 101

5. Steps to Successful Canvassing

6. Handling Objections

7. Q&A, Thank You

Objectives

1. What do you hope to learn from this session?

The Reluctant Canvasser Video

How to Build Your Team

How to Build Your Team

Whether you are building your core campaign committee, a team of canvassers, or community leadership canvassers, the same rules apply.

1. Understand your Organization• Study your company’s organizational chart/flow• How many employees; do they all work at one

location or are they spread out; do they work from home and/or on the road; full/part-time, contract staff

• How many departments; names of departments; department heads; # of employees per department

How to Build Your Team, con’t2. Plan• Textbook Committees are reflective of your workplace and its

departments. Ensure each department is represented on your committee in addition to key members responsible for various aspects i.e. pledge forms, canvassing, special events, tracking, communication, labour/union, previous ECC, community leadership chair, UW staff member. Your UW staff member and previous ECC & LC are great resources in helping you determine what was done in the past and where to improve upon. Building a team takes time!!

• Textbook Canvassing. 1 canvasser to 10/15 employees is considered textbook regardless of the size and/or demographics of your organization. Based upon your organizational chart, how many canvassers per department are needed to meet this ratio?

How to Build Your Team, con’t

3. Communicate

• At this point you are ready to fill your team positions. Determine what is the most effective way to communicate to all employees, ensure job descriptions are ready to post, be clear about expectations, time commitments, meeting dates and role. Start with previous committee members and canvassers, ask for their help to recruit 1-2 people each, ask your CEO to identify a community leadership chair as well other people he/she would like to see on the committee

• Ideally all positions for your campaign committee should be filled before the summer, ideally in May/June to ensure approximately 5 committee meetings prior to kick-off

• All canvasser positions should be filled prior to September to ensure training is completed two weeks prior to kick-off

How to Build Your Team, con’t

4. Meet and Train

1) ECC’s should meet with their UW staff person prior to setting the first committee meeting as well include UW in this first meeting. We can help you determine how many meetings are necessary to ensure your goals are being met as well help plan a work back schedule to keep tasks manageable

2) Once your team of canvassers are recruited and approximately two weeks prior to your campaign kick-off ensure all are trained. In some organizations you may require 3+ training sessions. Each session can range from 1 to 1.5 hours in length and don’t forget to book an agency speaker

Canvassing 101

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Campaigns withCanvassing

Campaignswithout

Canvassing

ParticipationRate

% Increase InEmployeePledge $

• Campaigns with canvassing have a participation rate of 24.5% vs. 17.9% for campaigns without canvassing

• Recruiting canvassers resulted in a 10.5% increase in employee pledge form donations vs. 2.4% without canvassers

What is the number one reason why someone doesn’t contribute to your campaign?

Did you know that...

1. The number one reason people don’t give is because they were never asked!

2. Canvassing provides employees with the opportunity to make an informed decision about their charitable giving through your United Way campaign.

3. 90% of the revenue in our most successful textbook workplace campaigns comes from pledge form donations

Role of the Canvasser1. Meet with employees face to face2. Educate employees about UWYR3. Educate employees about York Region4. Explain how to fill out a pledge form5. Explain tax benefits6. Answer questions7. Make yourself available if employees have questions at

a later date8. Collect pledge forms or inform employees were pledge

forms are to be dropped off9. Thank Colleagues

Three Steps to Successful Canvassing1. Prepare. Learn about UW and your workplace

campaign; pledge yourself.

2. Make the Ask. Promote UW; ask your colleagues to support your workplace campaign by making a donation; answer questions and say “thank you”.

3. Follow-Up. With people who haven’t yet returned their pledge forms; with anyone who was away or out of the office; provide answers to employees’ questions

Handling ObjectionsRemember:• It’s not personal• It might not be true• Be empathetic (I see, I can appreciate that…)• Only explain, never argue• Encourage the person to talk• Relax and be yourself

Handling Objections, con’t

1. Making the ask…2. 27% of Canvassers give up after the 1st objection3. 11% after the 2nd objection4. 4% after the 3rd objection

BUT, 73% of donors give 3 objections!!!

Q & A

Thank You