In early September, I had the pleasure of attending two unique private sector campaign events in the Minneapolis area for Global Impact partners Ecolab and Carlson. Ecolab’s was a celebratory wine and cheese event that kicked off their 2018 Community Giving Campaign, while Carlson hosted a field day event for employees during their campaign at their headquarters.

Ecolab: Wine and Cheese Celebration
At Ecolab’s bright and beautiful offices, I mingled with leadership and enjoyed live music by an all-employee band. Ecolab CEO Doug Baker stepped up to give an authentic and moving speech about why giving back is so important. A creative approach to their fair combined with a strong commitment from the top really illustrated the effort Ecolab put into connecting with their employees.

Carlson Field Day
Carlson Field Day was held outside on a gorgeous sunny afternoon in the large open park behind their offices. The event featured food trucks, charity tables, a bag-tossing tournament, canoe races and a dunk tank. Employees had a blast with the many different activities and the easy-going atmosphere encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity to visit with their favorite charities and learn about those they weren’t familiar with.

Takeaways
Having so many nonprofits to choose from in a campaign can be overwhelming. For employers, this makes it extremely important to ensure that their employees have the best chance to make meaningful connections with charities during events. One of the best ways for charities to form these connections is by telling their organization’s mission and success stories.
These events created the perfect setting to do just that – a fun, casual atmosphere makes it easier for charities and employees to approach one another. Employees are often very interested in getting involved – at both events, I spoke with employees who were very interested in supporting global causes and wanted to know about the amazing work our charity partners are up to. As an employer, putting in the extra effort to help employees make that connection will help ramp up employee engagement and make all the planning worth it. Employers don’t have to go all out with a field day, but they also shouldn’t feel cornered by the idea of a traditional career fair. If you’re an employer wanting to learn more about how to engage your workforce more creatively, contact us at [email protected].