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A few ideas to get you started on your
2009 United Way Campaign
As you begin planning for your company's upcoming United Way campaign, here are a few ideas to help get you well on your way to having a successful campaign.
- Select a campaign coordinator and/or assemble a campaign team to plan and implement an employee fundraising campaign.
- Involve the CEO, manager or top contact at your organization by keeping them informed and asking for their support of campaign efforts.
- Come up with some exciting fundraisers that will help spark employees interests.
- Plan to hold a campaign kick-off and wrap-up at your organization to signify the start and end of the campaign. Remember to keep your campaign time short. Limit it to a maximum of two weeks.
- Provide incentives for turning in pledge cards early or for overall participation.
- Set a campaign goal and display progress throughout the campaign.
- Utilize United Way staff and loaned executives to help plan and implement your campaign. Never hesitate to contact the United Way office for advice, ideas or answers to your campaign questions.
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| Never too early ...
First National Bank of Fort Smith, 74th Street Branch, held several Razorback cookie, cake and cupcake sales to celebrate Fayetteville home games.
Although the 2009 United Way Campaign has not officially kicked off, it is never too early to start planning or even to start engaging employees to raise funds and awareness. Here are a few ideas to help you gear up for this year's United Way campaign.
- Resource Development Directors and other United Way staff are always happy to come and speak to your office or organization about all of the exciting things going on at United Way. Keeping people informed year-round (not just at campaign time) is very important.
- Another great way to start spreading the word about United Way is through agency tours. Have the campaign committee or key employees tour some of the 33 agencies so they can see first-hand what United Way contributions do out in the community. The United Way staff is happy to arrange tours for small or large groups at any time of the year. After taking tours, select a few individuals to speak about their experiences at company meetings.
- Many times, businesses need to get meetings, rallies and other events scheduled way in advance. Look into setting up employee meetings, rallies, luncheons, etc. now so that when the actual campaign kicks off such events are already on everyone's calendar.
- Campaign has become year round at many organizations, not just a late summer or early fall activity. Many fundraisers are easy to host on a regular basis such as 50/50 drawings.
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Calling all retirees!
 United Way would like to do a better job of keeping in touch with retirees who served as long time contributors and United Way supporters. In order to do this, we need your help! As individuals retire from your company or organization, we would like the chance to continue contact with them by mailing out newsletters and campaign information. Please help us by letting us know when a contributor retires so we can thank them for his/her past giving and encourage them to continue supporting United Way.
Encouragement for continued giving on a company level also helps to strengthen retiree campaigns. If you would like to include retirees in your company's campaign, United Way can provide you with sample letters and literature to distribute to retirees from your CEO, campaign coordinator or fellow employee. Many retirees have been active in United Way campaigns and would like to continue giving, but don't know how to go about doing so without payroll deduction. By providing these individuals with the information they need, these loyal contributors can continue supporting United Way for many years to come.
For more information about retiree campaigns, please contact Brittany Ransom or Sarah Fowler at 479-782-1311 or email
unitedway@mynewroads.com. |
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Make sure to let United Way know of your upcoming events and fundraisers! We will be glad to announce them or brag about your success in Campaign Connection!
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Golf for United Way May 22
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Arvest Bank will host its annual golf tournament to benefit United Way on Friday, May 22. The tournament will be held at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Alma and will begin at 8:00 am with a shotgun start.
The format is a four-person scramble and entry fee is $400 per team. The fee includes the use of the cart, driving range and a goodie bag. Lunch will also be provided.
To obtain a registration form, call the United Way office at 479-782-1311 or send an e-mail to unitedway@mynewroads.com. Team registration deadline is May 18.
More than $2,500 in prizes will be awarded. First and second place prizes will be awarded in two flights. Closest to the pin and longest-drive contests will also be held. In addition the tournament will have hole-in-one contests, a par-3 poker game and prize drawings.
Sponsors for the event are still needed, as are prizes to be given away at the tournament. Sponsorship levels are:
- Corporate (which includes team and a hole sign): $450
Anyone interested in being a sponsor or donating prizes can
contact Chris Raible at 479-573-1260 or by e-mail at craible@arvest.com.
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Upcoming Events
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National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive - May 9
The National Association of Letter Carriers in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service, United Way of Fort Smith Area and Community Services Clearinghouse is sponsoring the 17th Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive, Saturday, May 9.
Making a donation is easy. All residents in Alma, Barling, Fort Smith, Greenwood, Huntington, Lavaca, Mansfield, Mountainburg and Van Buren need to do is to place a box or can of non-perishable food next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers mail on Saturday, May 9.
The carrier will take the food back to a postal station, where it will be sorted, given to an area food bank or pantry and then distributed to local residents at no charge.
If you would like to collect non-perishable food items at your place of business, call 479-782-1311 and let us know. Someone will pick up the collected items on Friday, May 8
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Day of Caring a great success!
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The 16th annual United Way Day of Caring held on Thursday, April 16th was another great success. More than 500 individuals volunteered this year, tackling projects at various non-profits and in communities throughout the United Way service area.
In Fort Smith , the day kicked off with a breakfast at Golden Corral. United Way Executive Director Tom Minton welcomed those in attendance and introduced event emcee, Ron Calhoun of Ron Calhoun and Associates. He thanked volunteers for giving of their time to help serve the agencies and the community. He also recognized participating companies and this year's 15 Day of Caring sponsors - Ron Calhoun & Associates, Gerdau MacSteel, AOG, Planters, BancorpSouth, Citizens Bank & Trust, First National Bank of Fort Smith, Hanna Oil & Gas, Simmons First National Bank, Zero Mountain, Owens Corning, Liberty Bank, Experian, Times Record and Rhodes Chevrolet.
Navy and white Day of Caring t-shirts were distributed to volunteers as they came through the door. Numerous prizes were handed out to attendees as they popped balloons on the prize poster to reveal their reward. Three lucky winners walked away with a $20 bill and a big thank you from Ron Calhoun. After the prizes were passed out, Calhoun again thanked the volunteers and gave them the charge to head out to their projects.
A kick-off breakfast was also held in at the Bearcat Restaurant in Booneville. Volunteer thank you lunches were held on site at the participating agencies as well as in the towns of Ozark and Sallisaw.
This year's event was a great success," said Executive Director, Tom Minton. "It's wonderful to see members of the community come together to help out the well-deserving agencies. We greatly appreciate the volunteers giving up their time, as well as for the companies that allow their employees to come out on that day and work."
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Give.
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| United Way's annual campaign is the easiest and most powerful way to invest in your community.
United Way addresses the needs important to people who live and work in Crawford, Franklin, LeFlore, Logan, Sebastian and Sequoyah counties. |
Advocate.
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You can make change happen with your voice. Get informed. Tell your friends. United Way needs people passionate about education, income and health to make some noise.
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Volunteer.
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Join hands. Open your heart. Give an hour. Give a Saturday. Think of we before me. Reach out a hand to one and influence the condition of all.
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