Campaign Resources
United Way Fundraising Ideas
- Silent Auction – employees, retirees, friends and family members donate handcrafted items, entertainment or sporting event tickets, culinary delights (dinner for 6), gift certificates, electronics and services (monthly car wash for a year), etc.
- Solicit vendors for items since the proceeds benefit the United Way, not your company
- Encourage company executives to offer items (i.e. dinner with the President at a popular restaurant, a round of golf at the country club with the CEO, etc)
- Include logo items from your company if you can
- If your company has tickets to events and activities, try to get those in the auction
- Raffles – tailored to employee preferences (don't forget to include incentives for ticket sellers)
- Prime parking spaces
- Travel (Vegas, Chicago, travel vouchers)
- Golf packages
- Gift certificates
- Vacation day
- Blue Jean Fridays – employees pay $x to wear blue jeans on Fridays – for a designated period of time (3 months, 6 months, all year)
- Ice Cream Socials – have ice cream treats for the employees at the end of a workday (consider having the bosses serve the treats)
- Pancake breakfast – have the bosses serve up a pancake breakfast for the employees to start their workday
- Special lunches – themed lunches to bring visibility and a few extra dollars to United Way (Mexican Fiesta, backyard barbecue, "Under the Sea" seafood feast, etc). Have executives dress to fit the theme and serve the lunch.
- Duck Dash – a "ducky derby" type event where employees pay $x to sponsor a yellow duck. The ducks are dumped into water and the ones that crossed the finish line first won prizes.
- Dunk Tank – employees pay $x to toss balls at the target to dunk 'popular' employees (company executives work best for this one).
- Human Sundae – employees paid $x to be a 'Friend of Glenn' and pay for the opportunity to put ice cream and sundae toppings on their boss' head. The executive sat on a chair in the middle of a kiddie wading pool while employees covered him with ice cream, sauces, whipped cream, and cherries.
- Chocolate Day – have employees bring in their favorite chocolate treats and sell them (similar to a bake sale).
- Mini-Golf – have employees pay $x to go to Sharp Park or the Golf Dome for a round of golf and lunch (it can be done in an hour!).
- Have contests at the course for putting and chipping
- Include the cost of a hot dog, chips and pop with the golf
- Have someone take pictures of the teams and treat it like a real golf outing
- Mini Garage Sales – employees donate old books, videos and they are sold to co-workers for contributions
- Baby Picture or Pet Picture Match Game – $x per vote to match the baby or pet with the employee. Winning entry receives prize.
- Scavenger Hunt – $x entry fee to compete and find items from the neighborhood during the lunch hour (inside the building and out). Give a prize.
- Pocket Change – put out a jar and watch the change grow to demonstrate how quickly just a little bit of help can support the United Way.
- Competition – foster friendly competition between departments or groups within your company to encourage support for the campaign – coin jars, video game tournaments, poker/euchre tournaments, eating contests, etc.
Have a creative way you fundraise for United Way?
Please share your ideas on our Blog and click here to e-mail us photos to be put on the Photo Gallery!
