Disaster & Hardship Relief Funds: Three Design Considerations
July 14, 2015
How Easy is your current Relief Fund Application?
August 11, 2015July 28, 2015
A fund is set up, the initial donations have been made, team members have been informed about how they can contribute to the fund, and why it is a good idea to participate. What is next? To keep the momentum going, meaningful, ongoing communication with team members must occur.
“Meaningful” communication means that promoting the fund to team members must consist of more than just placing contribution reminders in the monthly company newsletter. It means keeping the fund and the good it does at the forefront of team members’ minds. More importantly, it means ensuring that those who qualify for grants are aware of how to go about applying for funds.
Effective team member communication can happen in a variety of ways:
- Publicize the fund as widely as possible, particularly to new team members.
- Encouraging team members to sign up for contributions when they first join the company is much easier than trying to encourage them to jump on board at a later date.
- Keep team members updated on the state of the fund on a regular basis, so they have concrete evidence that their contributions are making a difference.
Another powerful way to promote the fund is to celebrate its successes, including meeting donation goals or surpassing significant dollar amounts. Remind team members of how many people the fund has assisted, and thank them for their contributions. Finally, holding annual donation drives, fundraising events, or even a thank you lunch for team members are all fantastic ways to spread the word about the fund in ways that move beyond the traditional plea for contributions. The key to effective engagement is often in how team members are educated about the fund, rather than how often. A unique promotion, fundraiser, or celebration will go a lot farther towards building a successful fund than simple email reminders alone.
