Put Some Power Behind Your Words: United Way Message Platform

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Purpose: Share why & how to use the United Way Message Platform

Process: • Examine each of the 3 elements of the Message

Platform• Using discussion & interactive exercises, we will

elevate, reinforce and integrate them thru written & oral communications

Payoff: Learn to effectively communicate a consistent and compelling case for United Way’s work

United Way Business Framework

Measured by :Lives improvedIndividuals engaged: giving, advocating, volunteeringInvestor satisfaction and confidenceLong-term, sustained financial growthResources under management

Big Ideas :Build impact strategies in education, income, and health that improve livesFrame strategies as investment productsSegment and understand your marketsConnect investor aspirations with need/opportunity

Values :Outward facing, engaged with the community, committed to community successAccountability/ transparencyOperational ExcellenceCustomer-centeredInclusivenessInnovation/continuous improvement

The Strategy Works: Message Platform Drives Gains In Public Attitudes

82%

69%

General PopulationThose who believe UW is effective in Advancing the Common GoodThose who believe UW is making a difference in 2-3 impact areas

Those who recall Live United campaign

Overall

Common Good2-3 Impact Areas

Live United recall

84%

83%

% Trust United Way

The Strategy Works: Message Platform Drives Gains in Engagement Behavior

17%

General PopulationThose who believe UW is effective in Advancing the Common GoodThose who believe UW is making a difference in 2-3 impact areas

Those who recall Live United campaign

Overall

Common Good2-3 Impact Areas

Live United recall

% Donate

35%

28%

21%

A lot of the messaging is around the results of the annual campaign and you don’t hear anything more until the next campaign. There needs to be year round messaging to shift the communities’ perception from fundraiser to community impact.

Corporate partner

Message Platform

How wedo it

Positioning

What we stand for

Goals

What we‘re trying to

accomplish

Role

Platform Elements

Positioning

What we stand for

United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all.

Position: Advancing the Common GoodWe are interconnected, linked

It matters to me that I live in a good, healthy community where… the problems…are being worked on by community organizations such as United Way…I have no children but I support the schools because to me that's important to a good community that I want to live in. San Francisco woman, UW-ACI

Position: Advancing the Common Good

Our Efforts are About:

ConnectednessAdvancing everyone

InterdependenceInclusive

Not:

AltruismDoing good for the

needyCharity/hand out

Divisive (haves/have nots)

Advancing the Common Good

Interconnected• United Way works to advance

the common good.• …benefits that will ripple out

to the community as a whole.• Ensuring society will continue

to progress and our children will have a better future.

• It takes the whole community working together to reach our mutual goals.

Altruistic• United Way helps the poor in our community.• …programs and services for those most in need• Helping families get through these tough economic times.• People who care should step up and lend a hand.

Exercise

United Way is looking for good men and women who care about their community, think we instead of me, and who are willing to help their friends and neighbors who are struggling during these difficult times. Campaign leaders say they are confident that through the generosity of new and existing donors, United Way can raise the money needed to help people who are struggling and support more than 300 health and human service programs that are crucial to the health and stability of our communities.

Pre Version

I didn’t have anything to cover my doctor bills or my medications so I was introduced to the Community Health Connections through the nurses and the doctors at the Family Health Center.If I hadn’t of known about Community Health Connections and what they could do - I do not know where I would be at right now, I really do not. Because there were a lot of things I was letting go. With me being a heart patient I am supposed to be checked regularly…But you know if I couldn’t pay for it I didn’t want to go!

Post Version“I learned the hard way a full-time job is no guarantee of health coverage.” Mercedies A record number of Battle Creek workers are unable to afford health care. Today, Mercedies is finally receiving treatment for long-term health challenges, due to two United Way partners, the Family Health Center and Community Health Care Connections. She is now is in a position to go back to work and be financially stable.Poor health influences a person’s ability to work or pursue an education, and increases health costs for the community. “Working together, we can improve health and reach United Way’s goal of creating financial stability for families,” said Samantha Pearl, Executive Director of Community Healthcare Connections.

EXERCISE 2:Analyze the following workplace flyer. What’s wrong? Why United Way?United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. Our focus is on education, income and health, because these are the building blocks for a good quality of life.

Here in Anytown, United Way helps those in need find affordable housing. One in eight families in Anytown have no real home, moving from place to place, relying on friends and family for help, or even living in cars. Families make up half the homeless population. Imagine if you only had a suitcase of belongings and your family had to live in a car? 

We recruit the people and organizations from all across the community who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. We invite you to be a part of the change. You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer. That’s what it means to Live United . 

Positioning

What we stand for

Goals

What we‘re trying to

accomplish

Our focus is on Education, Income and Health - the building blocks for a good quality of life.

Goal: Education, Income, Health

•Clarifies positioning•Reinforces

interdependence •High priorities•Lasting change

The Building Blocks for a Good Quality of Life

Building Blocks

Foundation

Essential

LastingIntertwined

Those are keys to helping make a difference in people’s lives...it isn't just giving money, it is helping people stand on their own.Building blocks are typically critical -- the "foundation" of something. Quality of life to me, means independence - in every sense of the word - and a success however you choose to define it.

Goal: Collective Focus

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 30 fastest-growing occupations include 19 jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree… This points to a troubling future for dropouts as the reality sets in that at least some post-secondary education will be a necessity for many of the available jobs.This points to a troubling future for our city/state/nation as the reality sets in that unless we prioritize post-secondary education, we will have an unprepared workforce and important jobs will go unfilled.

Addressing Basic Needs

Hunger

Violence

Housing

Job placement

Child care

Financial Literacy

Clinics

Utilities

Health Education

Financial Stability

Talking in Tough Times

The economic downturn clearly shows how eroding any of the building blocks of a good life - education, health or financial stability - can weaken the whole community. For example, home foreclosures and evictions ripple throughout local economies. In the short term, we need to stabilize families by finding ways for them to stay in their homes, or afford utilities, or make sure they have enough food. In the long term, our community will only prosper and grow if all families are financial stable - that means getting to work now on more affordable housing options, good paying jobs…

How wedo it

Positioning

What we stand for

Goals

What we‘re trying to

accomplish

RoleRole

United Way recruits people and organizations  who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done.

Our Role:

We don’t want to take all the credit.But when success happens, We want people to seeIt wouldn’t have happened without us.

We galvanize and connect a diverse set of individuals and institutions, and mobilize resources, to create long-term social change.

Role Language Requirements

Consistent with value propositionAuthentic across local United WaysDistinguished from GoalMakes the case for United Way Doesn’t rely on outcome measurements

InvitingConnectingCommitting

United Way recruits people and organizations from all across the community who bring the passion, expertise and resources we need to

get things done.

United Way recruits people and organizations from all across the community who bring the passion, expertise and resources we need to get things done.

“Recruit” - UW is looking for the best and most committed; inviting your help.

They recruited you, they have their eye on you as a person who could help fix this problem - personally asked you to get involved.“Passion” - connects emotionally, about more than $.You have to be passionate, if you are not you won’t do it for the long term.“Expertise” - UW has connections.Every community has those key people. UW knows who those people are and can get them to act. “Get things done”- about problem-solving, not process.It really is about accomplishing things together...not giving money to an agency and helping them meet financial goals...but to accomplish big goals.

Adapting for Stakeholders

Unique & Enviable Characteristic:• United Way’s local/national/global reach • Take corporate efforts to scale • Leverage foundation resources

Portray the Role - Invite and Commit

An explicit ask mattersJoin us

Suggests ways to engage to reinforce “more than fundraising”

Give. Advocate. Volunteer.

We invite you to join us. You can give, you can advocate

and you can volunteer.

That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED.

Our focus is on education, income and health—the

building blocks for a good quality of life.

United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better

life for all.

United Way recruits people and organizations

who bring the passion, expertise and resources

needed to get things done.

YOUR TOPIC

You are essential to success because… We invite you to join us. You can give, you can advocate and you can

volunteer. That’s what it means to

LIVE UNITED.

Our focus is on education, income and health—the

building blocks for a good quality of life. Here’s how our

goals are the same…

United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better

life for all.

United Way recruits people and organizations

who bring the passion, expertise and resources

needed to get things done. We are uniquely able to

leverage/bring to scale…

Stakeholder

Exercise: Cocktail Party

You are at a cocktail party and unexpectedly find yourself in a one-on-one conversation with an Executive Vice President of a company you’ve wanted to interest in partnering with United Way. He says, “What kind of work do you do at United Way?” How do you respond?

Message Platform Training Options

Register on United Way Online

1. Two Day On Site Custom Training Session: Keyword phrase: Effectively Describing Your Work

2. Virtual Trainer: Register on United Way OnlineKeyword phrase: virtual trainer message course

Additional Resources

Live United Message Platform Workbook (the black book)http://online.unitedway.org/site/uwaservices/brand/assets/liveunited/documents/BL-0811-MessagePlatform_lo-res.pdf Additional Resources http://online.unitedway.org/site/uwaservices/brand/liveunited/overview/messageStrategy.cfm