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Reminder Emails

While we’ve provided email templates for standard campaign milestones, we suggest that you keep your staff up-to-date about the activities that have occurred, progress on volunteer hours, monetary contributions, etc. and ways that employees can engage if they have not already. It is especially useful if you thank those who have already given, ideally calling out by name volunteers or donors who have gone above and beyond in their commitment. Best practice indicates that 3-4 of these reminder emails will suffice, so that employees are not overburdened with multiple email communications. Here are some of the occasions you might consider sending a reminder email:

• In the beginning and midpoints of the campaign

• After a Tocqueville or Leadership event

• Recapping an employee team-building experience, volunteer outing or service provider tour

• If you reach or surpass a goal in giving or volunteerism

General Advice

United Way strongly encourages you to make this campaign your own, personalizing to your company and its culture as much as possible. Though we’ve given you templates, they’re just that – suggestions.

Please try to keep the tone of your letters and emails authentic and inspirational, using warm, conversational communications and providing real reasons why people should give. You are United Way’s advocate, and your passion is the greatest gift that you can give! We are so appreciative of you!

Templates

Campaign Preview

Campaign Kickoff

Campaign Kickoff (Leadership and Tocqueville)

Sample Impact #1: Education

Sample Impact #2: Income

Sample Impact #3: Health

What a dollar buys

General Thank-You Letter

“Last Call” Email

End-of-campaign "thank you"

CEO letter: Campaign Preview

CEO Letter: End-of-campaign "thank you"

Campaign Preview

(Sent one week before campaigns start)

Subject Line: Are you the kind of person …

Who wants to make your community stronger? Who cares about changing lives for our friends and neighbors in North Texas?

If so, stay tuned for your chance to play a role in [COMPANY NAME’S] United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Annual Giving Campaign! When you support United Way, you are affecting real change – and United Way has the numbers to prove it.

There will be multiple ways for you to play a part, in addition to donations. United Way supports over 100 local nonprofits, making it easy for you to volunteer at a place that you’re passionate about [LINK TO QUIZ]. Here at [COMPANY NAME], we’ve got some special events and activities in mind to help you flex your philanthropy among friends and colleagues.

There’s always a place where you can make your mark, so get ready to be a difference-maker! We’ll be in touch again on campaign kickoff day!

Campaign Kickoff

Campaign Kickoff (All Staff)

Subject Line: Things Change Today

In Dallas County, only 32% of high school graduates are ready for college. 22% of kids in North Texas live in poverty. 38% of women have been the victim of domestic violence in our own community.

But there’s good news – things are improving every single day, thanks to difference-makers like who pitch in to help. Now you can play a part, through [COMPANY NAME’S] United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Annual Giving Campaign! This isn’t about charity, it’s about change. From helping former inmates start their own business, giving a child the gift of hearing or making college a reality for high-potential kids – United Way and its service providers are about making a long-lasting impact everywhere we live.

How can you help? By finding your charitable passion and becoming a change-maker! Last year, over [x] employees gave [$ CAMPAIGN AMOUNT], which made the entire company proud. Here’s how to get started to make this year even more successful:

• Come to a meeting to learn more about how United Way amplifies every dollar we give so it makes the biggest possible difference.

• Volunteer with your colleagues at a Day of Impact event — email me for more information — or sign up to change a child’s story as a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor.

• Take a tour of a United Way service provider — they serve a variety of them, so take this quiz [LINK TO QUIZ] and find out which cause you should champion!

• Make your United Way pledge by [MONTH XX].

Thank you for your support of United Way

[CEO or ECC NAME]

Campaign Kickoff (Leadership and Tocqueville)

Subject Line: Things Change Today

In Dallas County, only 32% of high school graduates are ready for college. 22% of kids in North Texas live in poverty. 38% of women have been the victim of domestic violence in our own community.

But there’s good news – things are improving every single day, thanks to difference-makers like who pitch in to help. Now you can play apart, through United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Annual Giving Campaign! This isn’t about charity, it’s about change. From helping former inmates start their own business, giving a child the gift of hearing or making college a reality for high-potential kids – United Way and its service providers are about making a long-lasting impact where we live.

How can you help? By finding your charitable passion and becoming a change-maker! Last year, over [x] employees gave [$ campaign amount], which made the entire company proud. Here’s how to get started to make this year even more successful:

• Make a gift of $1,000 or more annually and become a Leadership Society member. Make a gift of $10,000 or more annually and become a Tocqueville Society member. Please make your United Way pledge by [MONTH XX].

• Come to a meeting to learn more about how United Way amplifies every dollar we give so it makes the biggest possible difference.

• Volunteer with your colleagues at a Day of Impact event — email me for more information — or sign up to change a child’s story as a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor.

• Take a tour of a United Way service provider — email me and I can provide more information.

Thank you for your support of United Way!

[CEO or ECC NAME]

Sample Impact #1: Education

Subject line: Zip Code Shouldn’t Mean Destiny

Let me tell you the story about Vicente, who is a living example of how United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is changing lives. Vicente comes from West Dallas, where only 3% of students score high enough on their SAT/ACT to be deemed college ready. 3%! So how did Vicente beat those odds?

Vicente started going to United Way Service Provider Trinity River Mission (TRM) in the 4th grade, full of spit and vinegar. Vicente jokes with a contagious and lovable mischievous grin, “I’m very outgoing, I guess you could say.” The staff at TRM didn’t penalize him for his talkativeness but helped him develop his speaking, writing and communications abilities.

Now, he’s graduating with both his high school diploma AND associate’s degree at 17, and has big plans for the future. “I really have no limit. Nothing is going to discourage me.”

One of our community goals is to prepare 60% of all students to graduate and succeed, and a key strategy for achieving that is afterschool programs like the TRM. United Way has already helped increase the graduation rate in Dallas from 46% to 54%, but we need your help.

When you give to United Way’s Community Impact Fund, you’re not just giving to one nonprofit, but to a strategic, vetted portfolio of them who United Way measures and holds accountable. It’s the best bet for your dollar, and you can feel proud of the pledge you make. If you haven’t already done so, please make a commitment today to the Vicentes of the world who are counting on us to help them beat the odds.

Thank you,

[ECC NAME]

Sample Impact #2: Income

Subject line: Provide a pathway out of poverty

In North Texas, more than 580,000 people live in poverty. United Way of Metropolitan Dallas provides measurable change by equipping hardworking people with the knowledge of how to keep more of what they earn, and providing tools and training to get and keep better jobs. What can happen if you invest in United Way’s proven strategy? I’ll give you a real-life example.

Watch this amazing story about Kevin, who went from inmate to entrepreneur thanks to the help of United Way. While you’re watching, think about the difference you make when making a pledge today.

Since 2011, United Way has helped 7,000 people complete financial education courses and 5,000 have found jobs, just like Kevin did. Despite these gains, the current poverty level is 15% across our local communities, of which, 22% are kids. 39% of North Texans do not have the resources to stay out of poverty in the case of a layoff or emergency.

When you give to United Way’s Community Impact Fund, you’re not just giving to one nonprofit, but to a strategic, vetted portfolio of them who United Way measures and holds accountable. It’s the best bet for your dollar, and you can feel proud of the pledge you make. If you haven’t already done so, please make a commitment today to the Kevins of the world who are counting on us to help them beat the odds.

Thank you,

[ECC NAME]

Sample Impact #3: Health

Subject line: Help Prevent Family Violence

Did you know that 38% of women have experienced family violence? United Way of Metropolitan Dallas improves health across the region, and that includes a strong strategy in place for preventing domestic abuse. With their proven approach for vetting and measuring a cadre of strong health partners, United Way is genuinely making a difference in people’s lives. People like Connie.

For 25 years, Connie lived through a nightmare. Like too many North Texas women, she was trapped in an abusive relationship with her husband.

Connie’s husband isolated her from friends and family, and she was often trapped in a home without electricity, water, food and transportation, all while trying to care for her son, Daniel. The breaking point came when Connie’s husband came very close to killing her.

Connie sought police assistance, and was directed to The Family Place, a United Way service provider. This is where she found the will to live again and received job training and counseling. Now, Connie is a business owner and speaks frequently to other women just like her, inspiring them to change.

Since 2011, United Way has helped over 100,000 women, children and seniors feel safer in their communities, but there’s still work to be done. For example, 70% of children whose mothers are abused will be abused also.

When you give to United Way’s Community Impact Fund, you’re not just giving to one nonprofit, but to a strategic, vetted portfolio of them who United Way measures and holds accountable. It’s the best bet for your dollar, and you can feel proud of the pledge you make. If you haven’t already done so, please make a commitment today to the Connies of the world who are counting on us to help them beat the odds.

Thank you,

[ECC NAME]

What a dollar buys

Subject line: What can a buck do? More than you expect

One of the most common questions [COMPANY NAME] employees ask about United Way is what difference their gifts make. You might be surprised at how much an affordable weekly gift can accomplish when you invest in the United Way Community Impact Fund.

United Way makes the most of every dollar you give. How? By focusing efforts on strategies for long-term change and by investing in proven programs right here in North Texas. People like you volunteered nearly 14,000 hours of their time to identify 160 exceptional investments that break the cycles of dropouts, poverty and poor health. For example:

• $50 per week empowers seven parents of preschool kids to become their children’s first teachers and start them on a lifetime of learning.

• $30 per week gives two infants a healthy start to life by providing regular checkups and early intervention to prevent or proactively address health risks.

• $10 per week teaches a high school student valuable skills they can use to succeed in college or careers after graduation.

• $1 per week enables a student to attend two weeks in an academically rich afterschool program that aligns with what they learn in class, helping them perform better in school.

I give to United Way because I want to know that every dollar I give is making the biggest possible difference in someone’s life here in our community. I hope you will join me in giving to the United Way Community Impact Fund at the level that’s right for you.

Thank you,

[ECC NAME]

General Thank-You Letter

Subject: You Are Making a Difference

If you’re feeling proud, you should be! Making a pledge like you did is no small thing … it is a demonstration that you care about your friends and neighbors in the community. If you haven’t patted yourself on the back, allow me to do it for you – you are making a difference. THANK YOU! You are part of the reason United Way has made so much progress in the community.

I hope that you’ll take your passion one step further, and sign up to receive United Way emails at your personal email address. You’ll get to see where your investment is going, because United Way is unique in their commitment to providing updates about the lives you’ve changed and giving you statistics to see how they’re doing.

Sign up to receive United Way emails »

If you have any questions about United Way or about making your gift, please let me know.

Thank you,

[ECC NAME]

“Last Call” Email

Sent the day before the campaign ends

Subject line: LAST CALL: Add your name to the list

Tomorrow is the final day of the United Way Annual Campaign. Already, [PARTICIPATION RATE]% of your colleagues have added their name to the list of {COMPANY NAME] employees who care about their community, by making a pledge to give to our friends and neighbors who need it.

I feel truly humbled to work amongst a group of professionals who have given above and beyond.

But I also know that we have an opportunity in this last push to do something special. Every additional person that chooses to LIVE UNITED — every additional hour you volunteer, every additional dollar you donate — helps one more child or family thrive right here where we live.

If you haven’t already given, please make a pledge and invest. I think that in the next 24 hours, we can get a higher participation rate than any organization around. Who thinks we can do it? If you have any questions, ask me! If you want to know more, ask me! If you want to make a difference, GIVE!

Thank you for everything you do to LIVE UNITED!

Sincerely,

[CEO or ECC NAME]

P.S. [Look for an email from United Way with a link to make your pledge online.] [Please remember to visit {URL} to make your pledge online.] [Please remember to turn in your United Way pledge form.]

End-of-campaign "thank you"

Sent after campaign concludes

Subject line: I am so proud

I did a double-take when I saw the final numbers for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Annual Giving Campaign. Join me in celebrating the incredibly successful [COMPANY NAME] campaign! It takes an entire community to change lives, and today I could not be more appreciative that I work in this one.

Without further ado, I want to report: [insert appropriate result statements from below:]

[COMPANY NAME] employees gave $[DOLLARS PLEDGED] to United Way.

[PARTICIPATION RATE]% of [COMPANY NAME] employees gave to United Way.

[NUMBER OF DONORS] of [COMPANY NAME] employees gave to United Way.

Additionally, [COMPANY NAME] employees gave more than [NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS] volunteer hours during the campaign.

Even though I am so tremendously thankful, I’m really not speaking for me. I’m thanking you on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of North Texans – families, children, neighbors and friends – who will be more prepared to graduate, who will find pathways out of poverty and who will be healthier because of your contributions. From all of those that will be served, I extend my warmest gratitude.

Sincerely,

[ECC NAME]

P.S. Whether or not you were able to support the campaign, please remember that you can sign up to receive United Way e-mails at your personal address. Keep track of the lives you’ve changed and the progress made from your investment!

Sample CEO letters

Campaign Preview

Subject: Your Time to Shine

In the midst of our hard work and busyness, it isn’t often that we, as a group of people living in the same community, have the opportunity to band together around our friends and neighbors in North Texas. In a few weeks, something incredible is going to happen at [COMPANY NAME]. The United Way of Metropolitan of Dallas’ Annual Giving Campaign will kick-off, and our chance to change lives begins.

That’s a phrase you hear sometimes and think, “What does it really mean, to change lives? Isn’t that just marketing language?” That answer is no. Not for Purity.

Purity was born with a genetic disorder that caused her outer ears to be malformed. The effect on her hearing makes speech almost impossible to decipher, which can dramatically hinder learning in early childhood. Fortunately, there are wearable hearing devices that bypass the outer ear structures and transmit sound directly to the inner ear by vibrating the skull. Although her father is fully employed as a commercial truck driver, the family could not afford replacement devices, which cost about $5,000 each.

Thanks to support from United Way, Purity received a brand new, state-of-the-art hearing aid with the capability to filter out noise and provide clearer sounds. She can hear her teachers. She can speak with her classmates. She can learn. She can live. Her mom says, “It’s the simple things. She can tell me stories now. ‘Mom, this is what happened at school!’”

When a community bands together, 10,000 dollars for a hearing aid is an easy feat. Imagine what can be done with hundreds of thousands. With millions? Each year, United Way supports vetted nonprofits and measures their progress in the areas of income, education and health – the building blocks for a strong community.

When you give to the Community Impact Fund through United Way, whether it’s one dollar, or at the highest levels of the Leadership and Tocqueville Societies, you’re changing thousands of lives. When the campaign kicks off, I’ll be looking to you all to make a difference where you live, and to represent [COMPANY NAME]. Thank you in advance for your hard work, generosity and passion for service.

Sincerely,

[CEO Name}

End-of-campaign "thank you"

Sent to donors after campaign concludes

Subject: You did it!

It is with deep pride that I congratulate the men and women of [COMPANY NAME] for your generosity and overflowing of service during the campaign for United Way. When we live united, greater things can happen, and the first place you can see that is right inside this office.

I’m pleased to report that [insert appropriate result statements from below:]

[COMPANY NAME] employees gave $[DOLLARS PLEDGED] to United Way.

[PARTICIPATION RATE]% of [COMPANY NAME] employees gave to United Way.

[NUMBER OF DONORS] of [COMPANY NAME] employees gave to United Way.

Additionally, [COMPANY NAME] employees gave more than [NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS] volunteer hours during the campaign!

You did a remarkable job, and though I’m proud as your CEO, I’m even more touched as a person, talking to a group of generous people. We aren’t just working in Texas, we’re living here, too. And you’ve just made our community better for thousands of our friends and neighbors.

Very simply – thank you.

With the warmest gratitude,

[CEO NAME]

P.S. Whether or not you were able to support the campaign, please remember that you can sign up to receive United Way e-mails at your personal address. It’s a great way to learn about needs and opportunities throughout our community all year long: EmailSignup.

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