ASSESSMENT TOOL

Trying to figure out what you can do for your Day of Action?  Remember, the United Way Day of Action is an opportunity to plan and do something with your entire United Way team, including the Board.  Don’t limit your thinking to service projects run by the Volunteer Center alone. 

First: Pull together a cross-functional team from your United Way and brainstorm.  Consider the following as you conceptualize your Day:

Which Area Would You Like to Promote: Income? Education? Health?

• What work do you already have underway in the areas of education, income and/or health?
• Is there an issue that you are ready to take to the next level of community support to expand impact?
• What are you already doing well that can be expanded and enhance the sustainability?
• Is there an impact issue that you identified but that you have not launched in the community yet?

What kind of action do you want to plan for: Giving? Advocating? Volunteering?

• Is this an issue that really needs more financial support from the community?
• Is it one that is in need of more political will?
• Is it one that needs some time and talents?
• Will the action have a lasting impact?

How do you envision doing this?

• Is this an initiative that can be supported year-round?
• Can you design it so that your community can give, advocate, or volunteer on its own, without being organized by United Way?
• Is this something you will do in a day, or promote on a day, or begin on a day?

Who needs to be involved?

• Who are your stakeholders for this issue?  How will you get their buy-in?
• Who has access to the resources you will need?
• How many people do you want involved?
• Are there any criteria for involvement?
• What other staff members need to be involved?

Where will you stage this?

• Is this an on-line activity?
• If this is taking place at a specific place or places, what are the logistics involved? Are there any physical barriers to success?

When will you schedule this?

• Have you considered the impact – if any - of the fact that June 21st is Father’s Day? Can you use that fact to your advantage?
• Are there any pre-Day of Action activities that will lead up to this Day?
• What time of day is best, and for how long?
  

Once you have outlined your Day of Action concept, you will need to get down to some finer details:

Resource Planning

• What resources will we need?
• Where will we get them from?
• Do we need staff and volunteer assistance leading up to and including our Day?

Budgeting

• How much will this cost?
• Where will the money come from?
• How can I minimize costs?
• Should we consider sponsors?

Timeline & Responsibilities

• What are the key tasks that need to be done?
• When do they need to be done?
• Who is responsible for each task?

Marketing & Promotions

• How will we promote it?
• Where will we promote it?
• Do we need a spokesperson?
• How far out do we need to promote it?
• Can our partners help in promotion?

Measuring

• How will we know if we were successful?
• What will define as a successful Day?
• How will we measure it?
• What do we need to put in place now so that we can measure it?