From one Campaign Manager to another.
Susan McCarthy, Campaign Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture, shares her approach for 2009 campaign. Ms. McCarthy broke out her tactics into three key categories: organization, communications and training, and leadership. As a new campaign manager, she found this process to be useful to her planning. Here are the highlights of her campaign planning:
1. Get organized
For overall organization, Ms. McCarthy's put some key goals into place for the USDA campaign. These included:
- Increase Keyworker recruitment. Ms. McCarthy developed an Agency Coordinator incentive to meet and greet the Secretary which increased her Keyworker recruitment.
- Identify next year's Campaign Manager. Ms. McCarthy had the 2010 Campaign Manager named to the 2009 Steering Committee for training, orientation, and preparation for next year's campaign. They did name a Co-Chair. "Next year, USDA should have a much easier time getting the campaign organized and off the ground" states Ms. McCarthy.
- Recruit a Steering Committee. Once she identified the Steering Committee roles, Ms. McCarthy asked Agency Administrators to identify an appropriate representative to handle these roles to ensure the recruitment of qualified individuals.
- Create a CFCNCA office. Three days per week, the USDA keeps regular office hours for campaign supplies that volunteers could pick up when they dropping off pledges. The office is outfitted with computers, a photocopier and a safe.
2. Communicate and Train
To really get the campaign off the ground, communication and training were the key components for a new campaign manager. Here are Ms. McCarthy's suggestions for a framework to communicate and train.
- Access Keyworker training. For this year's campaign, the USDA had more training session with smaller groups and emphasized the benefits to charities and people in need as well as the "the positive personal benefit they could obtain by joining a larger caring community," furthered Ms. McCarthy.
- Create a refresher session. Following the kick-off, the USDA held a refresher training session in order to get specific questions answered and to run through specific procedures they wanted the Keyworkers to follow.
- Create regular Agency Coordinator meetings. Ms. McCarthy identified ongoing topics including tips and lessons learned in a series of meetings. "I like to be very practical, and I share ideas, communication tools and other tips with the coordinators in person and via e-mail," stated Ms. McCarthy.
3. Involve your leaders
Another strategic for Ms. McCarthy was to involve leaders from early on in the campaign. This allows for greater visibility throughout the campaign as is a best practice shared by many campaign managers.
- Start at the top. Secretary Vilsack shared very personal experiences with the non-profit charities and urged greater participation among USDA employees at the USDA kick-off event. He also placed the first pledge for the campaign.
- Nominate key official for Office of the Secretary. "I identified the Director for the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to serve as the lead for the Office of the Secretary - this was a very good call. The CFC maps to mission of the office - therefore he and his staff have been engaged and supportive. They also serve as a second ladder to get high-level support for various initiatives," said Ms. McCarthy.
Here are some examples of what USDA has done to promote their 2009 campaign:
Contact us if you would like to share your ideas in our Campaign Manager's Corner.
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