Best use of payroll giving
Howard Lake | 24 June 2008 | Blogs
For the campaign that demonstrates innovation linked to success in the use of payroll giving.
The Myton Hospices – Making Payday Count Campaign
The objective was to reposition payroll giving in the fundraising portfolio and make it a more engaging and exciting product, recruit high numbers of regular giving donors, promote the urgency of the need for community support to a wide audience and instigate relationships with companies. Fundraisers believed that payroll giving was not for small charities, but this was overcome by demonstrating simplicity and involving them in planning. Two big local employers in Warwick were approached and an email/poster campaign highlighting the work of the hospice and the need for community support was run two weeks before the actual promotion. A PowerPoint presentation to staff in the canteen was followed by a face-to-face promotion. In the first of two campaigns 102 people were spoken to and 64 signed up. In the second 115 people were seen and 71 signed up. This gave a total annual value of the two campaigns of £11,083.
Woodland Trust Launch ‘Carbon Offset Payroll Giving’ with Royal Mail Group
The main objective was to use payroll giving as vehicle to enable staff of Royal Mail Gorup to offset their personal carbon emissions and support the Woodland Trust by planting tees and looking at ways of reducing their carbon footprint. A carbon offset payroll giving product entitled ‘Owl’ – but known as Ollie – is used for individual staff to calculate their annual carbon footprint. It gives reduction tips and tells the individual the cost of offsetting their emissions, how many trees they would need to plant to achieve it and the monthly contribution they need to give to ensure it is offset. Once the individual agrees to offset this amount, Ollie collates the information needed to complete the payroll giving form to set up a monthly donation. The pilot study saw 130 donors recruited, delivering an annual charity donation of £8,000. Since January this year it has been promoted groupwide but it will take 11 months for all RMG sites to be visited. Initial results show that donations are above the usual payroll giving average of £4.4.
Barclays relaunch of Matched Payroll Giving
Payroll giving participated had stabilised at between five and six per cent, but Barclays wanted to encourage more colleagues to take advantage of the scheme. A new campaign was devised with Workplace Giving UK with a target of hitting 10 per cent participation within 12 months of relaunch.
A dedicated manager took ownership of the relaunch and spearheaded an integrated communications campaign. The annual matching budget was increased by 50 per cent. Community managers were consulted and payroll was briefed about the campaign. Key channels for staff communication included employee magazine, posers, postcards, payslip messages intranet and community website. Larger Barclays sites were visited first and different formats were adapted to different locations and local issues. Overall participation is now at 12.4 per cent with donations totalling £1.4m last year. With Barclays matched funding, this resulted in £2.2m for chosen charities.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.