Volume 3
Issue # 1

January 15, 2003

"It's About People - Part Three"

Welcome to part THREE of this multi-part series which explores my voyage through the world charitable giving and workplace campaigns. The United Way hired me as a sponsored representative this past fall and here is my account of how it went. I hope you have enjoyed my adventures and misadventures thus far and, more importantly in the grand scheme of things, I hope you will consider making a gift to United Way. Together, we truly can make a difference.

For Part One, Click Here
For Part Two, Click Here

To make a gift to United Way, Click Here

It's About Building For The Future

As previously stated, a major component of the sponsored representative position at United Way is time-management. Never before have I had to manage 25 accounts and travel from one end of town to the other for meetings. Time management, prior to this work term, was 'simply' a matter of allotting my time in the day for certain tasks, and to set milestones to reach on certain dates to ensure the completion of my projects. Managing travel time, anticipating running overtime in meetings, and dealing with last-second tasks brings a completely new dimension to the concept of time-management.

Also, prior to working at United Way, I was apprehensive about meeting new people and picking up the telephone to talk to a stranger and attempt to create a meaningful relationship. This was one of my major work term learning objectives, to pick up the telephone and to develop a meaningful professional relationship. The first few calls were difficult, to be sure, but as time moved on, I was forced to make more and more phone calls, and meet more and more people. Something I learned, however, is that relationships cannot be built over the telephone or via email. It was only during my initial few face-to-face meetings with the ECCs in the various accounts that I began to develop that professional relationship. Some were nicer people than others were; some were more receptive than others were, but a good working relationship was established with all. Similarly, I had apprehensions about getting in front of a large group and making a presentation or playing host at the various events. What I found, and what I knew was true, was that all I had to do was do it. Yes, the butterflies were flying, but I soon learned to teach them to fly in formation. Things started to become scripted in my head, and I could virtually dismiss the fact that 50 people were looking at me. Another growing experience, especially, was doing three presentations back-to-back-to-back at the Coast Capital Savings / Surrey Metro Savings call centre. My first presentation was difficult, and I found myself virtually reading the material from my notes. By the time I got to the third presentation, I only referred to my notes three times during my 5-10 minute speak.

The position of sponsored representative at United Way demands that one be flexible. Because of the variety of work that I did as a sponsored representative, I had the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, such as time-management, and public presentation skills. As an Arts student, what I expect to gain from my work terms are not hard, technical skills as an Engineering student may. Rather, what I expect to improve are my soft skills. People skills like interviewing skills and the ability to prepare for a meeting and 'non-people' skills like time-management and balancing priorities alike will serve me well as a budding clinical psychologist.

Roger's AT&T Wireless
Pie Throw

It's About Having Fun

Raising money for our community is a serious matter, but that does not necessitate that we cannot have fun doing it. The Loaned Rep team (i.e., all sponsored, loaned, and volunteer representatives) would have social events from time to time at the Firefighter's Club near Metrotown Centre, for example. We'd head out for some nachos, hot wings, prizes and a drink or two. We also had Make-Your-Own-Sundae Day, Cinnamon Bun Day, Hot Dog Day and more. To wrap it all up, in the month of December, in the final two weeks of my work term, we had a Loaned Rep Silent and Live Auction, and a Loaned Rep Luncheon at the Coast Plaza Suite Hotel in Stanley Park.

The various employee campaigns also had fun doing what they did. Although some campaigns were strictly a mail-off pledge drive, others took the United Way idea and ran with it, having events including egg drops, pumpkin smashing, and putting (golf) contests, just to name a few. Three accounts in particular, as shown in Appendix II, were extra special: Roger's / AT&T Wireless with their pie throw, MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates with their kick-off barbeque and bocce ball tournament, and Spectrum Signal Processing with their live auction as hosted Big Daddy Cadillac and his long-lost brother, Fester McCracken.

It's About Leaving A Legacy

Very early on in the work term, the people who work at United Way emphasized the importance of leaving a legacy. As the 55 representatives that United Way gains each year are a relatively new crop (there are a few returning loaned and sponsored reps), it is imperative the files and the relationships with the various accounts are well kept. One of the challenges in the planning process for each individual campaign was learning a little more about that particular company culture and how they preferred their United Way campaigns are run. By leaving as much relevant information in the file for next year's representative, you are ensuring the future successes of that particular United Way employee workplace campaign. With some accounts, the objective was to force as many donor dollars out of the workplace as possible, but rather to establish a United Way presence and attempt to put in place building blocks to have United Way as part of the company culture. This could mean taking in fewer dollars today, and having a lower key campaign, but working toward the future, the employees would have a better impression of United Way and would feel more compelled to give.