Here are some other fun event ideas:

  Appreciation Grams
Appreciation grams are sent to co-workers in the office on an ordinary day or in connection with a holiday such as Valentines Day, Easter, Halloween, May Day, etc.

Appreciation grams consist of little notes with words of thanks, recognition, or good wishes. Along with the note include a bag of candy, a Mylar balloon or flowers.

Some examples include: jelly beans for Easter, Hershey Hugs for Valentines Day, pet rocks for a 70’s theme, candy corn for Halloween.

Take pre-orders for one week in the break-room. Write down the names of the sender and receiver so they can be delivered at a later date. Notes can be computer printed generic messages, or at time of purchase, purchaser can hand write a note of appreciation.

Backyard/Parking Lot Bar-B-Q
Determine costs of set-up. Set a sale price for the Bar-B-Q. Pre-sell tickets to the event. The event may also be set up as a potluck picnic with everyone bringing a dish to share.

Items that need to be purchased include: paper products, meat and fixings, buns, beverages, grill, lawn chairs, tables. Set-up outside. You may wish to include a volleyball net, Frisbee, music, etc. as time and space allow.

Bake Sale
Homemade or store bought items are brought in such as: cookies, pies, muffins, bars, cupcakes, fudge, and candy. Arrange baked items on a table to be seen throughout the day. This is a single-day event; chance ticket sales ($0.25 a piece) begin that morning. Chances may be sold at the reception desk, in the lunchroom, and during lunch. Committee members draw names of winners at the end of the day and deliver items to the winners.

Bingo - Five A Week for Five Weeks
When employees turn in their pledge card at the start of the week, they receive a Bingo card in return. The sooner the card is in, the more chances there are of winning because a new Bingo game is called each week for five weeks. The week’s winning numbers are pre-determined and only one winning card is made each week. Make enough different cards so that it is not obvious who holds the winning card, and then make copies. Each day of the week a number is posted and players mark their cards. By Friday a winner is determined and he/she receives a prize. At the end of the week, dead cards are exchanged for new ones. This game continues for five weeks.

Brown Bag Day
Choose a day to designate as Brown Bag Day. Hold the event every month or alternating months. Staff should bring bag lunches on the designated day and money ordinarily spent on lunch out of the office is collected. Post quarterly results of Brown Bag Day in a visible location, enabling employees to see the results of their efforts.

Building for Our Future
Play on the construction and building theme, decorating a meeting room with bricks, tools, and a poster board with the foundation of a house drawn in. The house is built as the company becomes closer to reaching its campaign goal.  Campaign committee members may wear hard hats and tool belts at the kick-off meeting. Set a toolbox out on display. Refer to the staff as the “tools of the community, which have come together to build for our communities future.”

Arrange a day in which employees may 1) participate in United Way Day of Caring or 2) volunteer to assist with a United Way agency construction project in place of work for that day.

Casual Day
Every Friday, employees have the opportunity to purchase coupons for a Jeans Day or Casual Wear Day for the following workweek. Cost is $1 for one day of casual attire or $4 for a week’s worth of casual days. Give buttons to employees purchasing weeklong coupons. Buttons state, “We wear jeans to show support of United Way.” Give stickers to daily coupon holders with same message. This publicizes campaign among co-workers and offers customers an explanation for the casual attire.  

Catch the Spirit

1. Arrange a kite-making, kite-decorating or kite-flying competition. Hold awards for the smallest, largest, most creative and highest flying kites.
2. Create office displays with kites, windsocks and mobiles. Afterwards, donate exhibit items to a youth related agency.
3. Team up with a United Way funded youth program. Adults and children spend the day together making and flying kites.
4. Order a kite shaped cake to celebrate the start or finish of the campaign.

Chili Cook-off
Employees sign up to bring homemade chili for lunch at the office. For those who just want to help, ask them to bring napkins, utensils, and bowls. Donations such as breadsticks, cheese garnish, sour cream, and beverages may also be added to the luncheon. Spice up the event by encouraging a western theme with employees dressing up in cowboy hats and bandanas. Bowls of chili are sold for a set price such as $2 a bowl.

Christmas Cookie Sale
Call bakeries for cookie bids. Determine the cost and selling price. (Charge $0.75 more per dozen than the cost.) Check to be sure the bakery will package in dozens, if not the committee will need to package. Have sign-up sheet to take preorders.

Selling hints: they make great gifts, saves time from baking and buying at a store. Order, then have committee pick-up cookies in the morning and deliver treats to work.

Craft Sale
Advertise the craft sale ahead of time in the company newsletter, bulletin board, email enabling participants time to make (or buy) crafts. Place items on a display table, each with its own jar to place purchased chances. Employees purchase chances, fill out name and place it in a jar corresponding to the item they desire (example: $0.25 each or 5 for $1.00). Run the sale for a week, allowing employees to check each day on their odds by looking at the number of tickets in the jars. At the end of the week, the Committee draws names and delivers the items to winners.

Disney Day for United Way
Cut out badges in the shape of a Mickey Mouse head, write “Disney Day for United Way” on them, and sell them for $1. (Money goes to United Way.) Allow employees who buy the badges to come to work in jeans and encourage them to wear a T-shirt or sweatshirt with a Disney character on it. They must wear the badge if they wear jeans. Encourage anyone who has Mickey Mouse ears / hats to wear them also. Hold drawings for Mickey Mouse items - cups, pens, hats, etc.   If possible, get “Mouseketeer Club” theme song and play over the PA system as employees arrive for work.

Employee Car Wash
Recruit a team of car-washers (consider involving managers) and determine shifts.  Team members bring sponges, rags, soap, buckets, hoses, radio, etc. on day of event. Set up wash site in employee parking lot. Wash tickets may be purchased in advance ($3-$5) or simply recruit cars on wash day. Car washers get keys from co-workers, pick up vehicle and bring to the wash site to be cleaned. Return washed cars to parking places. Workers never have to leave the office! Another option is to set aside a reserved parking area for employees to park in the morning, leaving keys in the car to be moved if necessary.

Employee Cookbook
Ask employees to bring in their favorite recipes from home. Research publishing companies to print the collected recipes in a book format, or do it in-house. Plan on a two to six month time period for the preparation and printing of the project.

Take pre-orders after determining price per copy with the publishing company.  Profit earned from the sale can be added to the United Way donation from your company. Order extra books for last minute shoppers. (Those who have done this always run out!)

Game Show Giving
Have a new Game Show theme every day for a week. Use the information in the campaign materials to get your answers. Let employees know ahead of time that they should keep these materials for use in the games.

For each game, you must make a display board and place it in a heavily traveled area like the hall way or cafeteria. Make up individual answer sheets for each game and place them beside the display. Make a drop box for their answer sheets & place by the display. Each evening, you and your committee goes through the answer sheets and from those who got 100% right, do a drawing for a prize.

Announce the winner of Day 1 over the intercom (if possible) or list their name near the next day’s game display to get some excitement going. Do this with each day’s winner.

Give Life a Lift

1. Explain that by giving to United Way, employees are “lifting their community”. Start with a hot air balloon lift off. Check with local radio stations, airports or hot air balloon or aeronautic clubs to see if they have a balloon to feature.
2. Hold a balloon launch at your work site. Staff purchase a postage paid tag card for $1.00. The person puts their name on the card, along with the company name and address, and a short message asking finder to return card. Person whose name is on the card returning from the farthest distance (by a set date) receives a prize. The launch is a great way to tell the word that you company supports the work of UW.
3. Host a balloon artist, decorate office with balloons and hand out thank yous attached to a balloon. Create a balloon trivia contest, consulting the local library for information on the history of balloons and flight.
4. Hold a prize incentive drawing for a hot air balloon ride.
5.  

Gold Fish Race
Gold Fish are ordered from a pet store ahead of time, picked up on racing day, and sold to employees (minnows or rats work as well). Employees may be asked to place orders ahead of time to determine exact Gold Fish needs, yet remember to include the chance of casualties in your order. Nets for catching fish and small plastic bags for putting individual fish in (especially if employees are to take them home) are also needed for this event.

Serve Gold Fish crackers and punch as a snack.  Each fish is given the opportunity to race down a gutter section (with end caps), which can be purchased from a hardware store. An example would be to have five fish in five separate gutter sections go at one time. Winners are determined by a process of elimination leading up to a final heat. First, second, and third place winners are awarded ribbons and fish bowls to take their prized fish home.

Identify the Baby Photo Contest
Employees bring in a favorite baby picture, writing their name on the backside.  Pictures are numbered and posted on a bulletin board. Employees purchase a chance to match co-workers with baby pictures. When purchasing a chance, give purchaser a numbered sheet with blanks to write their guesses. Have them put their own name at the top and turn in. Employee with the greatest number correct wins a prize! Remember to have more than ten prizes on hand in the event of a tie.

Indoor Mini Golf
This indoor event is great for swinging away those winter blues! To make the event a contest, have each department design a creative hole using only materials already in their department. Examples include: wastebaskets, letter trays, reams of paper, machine parts, etc. If possible include a shot from the roof.

The employee committee rounds up some clubs and staffs the course during the lunch hour for the week of the campaign. Employees play the course as often as they like for a small fee. The CEO serves as the pro, challenging the employee with the winning score to a sudden death playoff on the final day of mini golf.  Prizes are awarded to the department with the most creative hole and to the best mini golfers.

Let the Race Begin

1. For this auto-racing theme, create a large goal poster that looks like an Indy racetrack to set the pace of your campaign race. Use Velcro cars to measure progress along the track as the company moves closer to the finish of the campaign.
2. Decorate main room with race flags, jerseys and auto racing posters.
3. Hold your own auto race with radio-controlled cars in the parking lot.

Life is Not a Spectator Sport - Go the Distance

1. At the start of the campaign, hold a kick-off meeting explaining touchdowns (accomplishments of previous years), penalties and receptions (areas needing improvement), and huddles (ideas for the coming campaign).
2. To launch the campaign, hold a tailgate party in the parking lot or at a park.  Arrange to have the party at the same time as a local softball or baseball game and cheer on your home team.
3. Throughout the campaign hold sport fundraisers such as a slam dunk/shootout contest, volleyball tournament, football toss, etc. Aeros, Brown, Indians or Cavs tickets or tickets for other local teams make great prizes.

Movie Trivia Quiz
This quiz can be completed at workstations & returned to an appointed person to tally the scores. You can match the actor/actress with the movie, match the quote with the movie, or combine. The highest score wins a prize. In case of a tie, a drawing will be held. Winners can be announced at a group lunch at the close of the campaign.

Ornament Raffle
Buy or have donated an artificial tree, which can be stored and used annually.  Employees bring in ornaments either purchased or handmade to hang on the tree.  Tree may be kept up and ornaments collected for the entire Christmas season.  After all ornaments are collected, most valuable ornaments are selected to be raffled first, giving all a fair chance at high valued ornaments (Hallmark Keepsakes, Precious Moments, etc.) Employees purchase chances for the ornament raffle (example: $0.25 or 5 for $1.00) and names are drawn.

  Paint a Brighter Tomorrow

1. The Rainbow is traditionally a symbol of hope for the future. Create a poster board with a Rainbow and Pot of Gold at the end, the campaign goal serving as the gold.
2. Create a rainbow by layering jellybeans in a clear jar. Hold a ”guess how many” contest, with the winner receiving the jar of jellybeans as his/her prize.
3. The big event is a team relay race. Each department wears a different color T-shirt so that all colors of the rainbow are represented. Each color/department represents a particular United Way agency.
4. Encourage employees’ children and grandchildren to participate in a rainbow coloring contest. Display the poster entries throughout the building.  Use rainbow-colored strands of lights for further decoration.

Pirates of the Caribbean
For those who don’t want to grow up like Peter Pan, this event will be a lot of fun.  Decorate meeting room or lunchroom with cut out palm trees, starfish, waves, etc. Bring in shells and fishnets to add to the decor. Bring in a chest with a key that will be your treasure chest, fill it with secret prizes. Otherwise make a treasure chest out of a large cardboard box with gold and silver foil pasted on the outside.

Employees purchase a key (either real or cut-out cardboard keys) from a volunteer dressed in a pirate costume. Cutout keys are numbered and the winner of the treasure chest is determined by a drawing. Real keys are tried in the lock, the winner being the person with the actual chest key. Make a treasure map and mount it on the wall. The display shows the progress toward campaign goal with a pirate ship crossing an ocean, in search of desert islands, with an “X” to mark the spot (goal).

Potpourri Luncheon
Participating employees bring a hot-dish, appetizer, salad, side, dessert, etc. to be shared. Paper products are also needed for this event. There is no sign-up for this event. Items brought in are completely random. Employees pay $5 to fill their plate and sample everything in the room. If your company has their own cookbook, the theme could be A Potpourri of Company Recipes. Participants must make a dish out of the employee cookbook.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes
Encourage the wearing of crazy/funky shoes the week of the campaign.  Hold a campaign kick-off lunch with foot-long hot dogs, Shoestring taters, Corn chips, SOFT SHOE drinks and SOLE music (Blue Suede Shoes, These Boots Were Made for Walking). To start the campaign and to get across the meaning of the theme, host guest speakers from United Way funded agencies, or have guest speakers from within the company, speakers relate their experiences with United Way and personally ask people to put yourself in my shoes. Keep track of fundraising progress with a poster board designed with a track and moveable (Velcro, magnetic board, etc.) racing shoes that come closer to the finish as the campaign evolves. Hand out thank you's at the end of the campaign, tied with shoelaces.

Quilting Quest
Employees purchase a 10x10 cloth square. The square becomes their piece of the larger quilt. Instead of purchasing, pieces of quilt may be given upon returning ones pledge card. Employees decorate their piece with photos, drawings, embroidery, words, pieces of fabric, etc. which identify their personality. Use your imagination! The pieces are collected and displayed together on a wall in an entryway. Yarn, colored tape or similar material is used to section off the individual square on the wall. An ambitious Sewing Bee may sew all pieces together as well.

Quilt shows how each individual “unites” with others in the quest to make a difference in the community. Raffle off finished quilt.

Reach for the Goal
Tie together the title with an Olympic theme. The company wins the gold medal when the campaign goal is reached. Create a poster with a bronze, silver and gold medal goal. The Opening Ceremonies are the kick-off to the campaign, explaining the goal and theme.

Symbolic passing of the torch from last year’s campaign chair to the new chairperson. Hold a mini-Olympics with employees forming teams of three or more. Events include hula-hoop relay, tricycle race, basketball dribble, tug-of-war, 100-yard dash, mile relay, and sack race. Winter Olympic events include cross-country ski relay, the luge (fastest sled), tug-of-war in the snow, best snow sculpture, team members push-pull each other in a sled race and snow football. Charge an entry fee for teams, offering prizes for the winning team along with souvenir gold medals.  Conclude the Olympic campaign with an awards ceremony, awarding Olympic winners as well as all employees for their campaign efforts.

Root Beer Float Sales
Seek donations or purchase root beer and vanilla ice cream. Other items needed include straws, spoons, cups, and ice cream scoopers. Have committee schedule work shifts. This popular event works well during lunch and breaks in the summertime. Remember a freezer will be needed to store the ice cream if the event is held all day.

Shave the Boss’s Head
Employees attempt to reach company goal. If they succeed or exceed the goal, boss agrees to shave off his or her hair (heads of hair or mustaches and beards for men). Create a chart to keep track of set company campaign goal. Have a photo image or drawing of boss without hair at the top, displaying result of reaching goal, or show progress posters with the slow removal of hair, as the employees get closer to the goal. Employees who make contributions are given the opportunity to vote on whether or not the CEO will have to shave. Host a celebration party with the boss shaving his or her head/mustache/beard at the event.

Team Chia Pet Contest
Employees will need to divide into teams and choose a team captain. Each team will care for and provide food, clothing, and shelter, for the their Chia pets (Sun lamps, Rapid Grow, and sweet-talking are all fair game to grow your Chia Pet) Judges will need to be chosen for the contest; results can be announced at a closing luncheon, winning team receives an extra hour added to one of their lunch hours.

Team Weight Loss
Develop teams (4-10 people) of employees willing to lose pounds for profits. Each team member pays a fee (a United way contribution) to enter the competition. At the start date, all employees’ weigh-in & record their starting weight (honor system may be used). Pick an ending date for the final weigh-in. The team that together loses the most pounds wins. Employees may choose to weigh themselves at various times throughout the competition to brag to competing teams, encouraging competition. Elect a team captain to tally final weight loss results of the team. Give the winning team a lunch out as their reward!

The Power of You

1. Committee members dress as Power Rangers at the company rally. Use power tools as part of the theme, recognizing the employees as the tools of the community.
2. Play off of the gladiator theme. Hold power contests such as sumo wrestling match (renting costumes).
3. Give reminders to turn pledge cards in with bags of cheerios, enforcing the “Power of You”. Hand out Power Bars with thank you notes or donation reminders.

Tricycle Races
Create teams each with of three to four riders. Teams are named and publicized in advance, allowing employees to make pledges or bets on the winning team.  Team members ride large tricycles (rent or arrange to borrow from a cooperating store) through a predetermined course through the office. Possibilities include: through hallways, lunch/break rooms, around cubicles, chairs, and in and out of offices. Have course marked with signs or tape on the floor. Fans are able to watch and cheer from different areas around the office. 

The race is designed as a relay. Team members may pass off a flag, pinwheel, teddy bear or similar item to their succeeding team member. Remember to take pictures for the company bulletin board or newsletter!

Game Ideas
Jeopardy - Have 5 - 10 answers about United Way, the agencies, etc., on a board. Make up play cards/answer sheets and have the employees write down the questions & drop them in the box.

Wheel Of Fortune - Have several puzzles related to United Way, such as the campaign chair, agencies, theme for that year, etc., (give them vowels for free) and have employees write down their guesses & drop them in the box.

The Price Is Right - Using allocations information for United Way programs & services, have employees match the allocation amount with the program.

Family Feud - Using a statement from the campaign materials like: United Way agencies that support Older People. Have the employees list the agencies on a sheet (assign equal points to them).

Let’s Make A Deal - Go around the office and ask random United Way-related questions to employees.  If they get the answer right, give them a prize on the spot. (Works well if you can get the President to go along with you to hand out the prize.)

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - From the list of donors, draw out names randomly to be the contestants. Ask them to name three United Way agencies that help kids (or elderly, families, etc.) Whoever writes them down the fastest and raises the paper in the air gets to play first. Using the United Way brochure or website, put together some questions about United Way and the agencies for the contestant. (Call the United Way office for help if you need.) Use play money for prizes.

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? (Or where in Summit County is Your CEO or President?) - This is a twist on the kid’s educational program “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” Have the company’s CEO or President go to five United Way agencies and get their picture taken doing something at the agency. When taking the picture, be sure not to have the name of the agency showing (can show part of a sign as a clue if needed. Post one photo each day (on poster board, in an e-mail, Intranet, photocopied hand-out, etc.) with clues. Have employees guess where their President or CEO is in the picture. 

Example: [CEOs name] is pictured at an agency that helped 125 people last year. All correct answers are entered into a drawing for a half-day off or long lunch. Use information from the campaign materials (broadsheets, brochures, video, etc.) for the clues you give. This game is fun, it shows employees that their CEO/President is a supporter, and it gets them to read through the marketing materials. It’s a Win-Win!

Other Ideas

Spaghetti Dinner - Host spaghetti feed and charge for each bowl.

Silent Auction - Simply gather items and create bid sheets, being certain to provide a minimum bid for each item.

Dress-up the Boss - Boss wears a costume voted on by all employees if the campaign goal is reached. Examples: tutu, animal costume, devil costume, etc.

Guess How Many - Guess the number of jellybeans, M&Ms, pennies or other items in a jar. Buy chances to guess. Closest guess receives a prize.

Golf Ball Sales - Collect old golf balls to clean and shine. Employees purchase golf balls (5 for $1.00) during lunch or breaks.

Recycled Goods - Turn in recycled paper, cans, bottles, etc. and exchange them for money for the United Way.

Theme Lunches - Add fun to campaign week by hosting a theme lunch such as 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s, holiday themes, TV shows, sports, Renaissance, etc.

Bakery Cart - Wheel a cart of bagels, doughnuts, Danishes, coffee and juice through the office, collecting United Way donations in exchange for the goodies.

Boss Cooks for You - Have a special breakfast at which top managers cook for all donors.

Wall of Fame - Put pictures on a wall recognizing employees who have been contributing for the most consecutive years.

Buck Coupons - Give everyone who attends campaign meetings a buck coupon that can be redeemed in the company cafeteria or company store.

Just Desserts - Campaign committee furnishes the main dish but sells desserts for $1.50 more with proceeds going to United Way.

Best Photo Contest - Employees submit photographs taken at campaign and celebration events. Photos are displayed on a bulletin board and judged by committee, with the best photo receiving prizes such as a new camera, free film developing, photo album, camera carrying case and film.

Easter Egg Raffle - Fill plastic Easter eggs with raffle numbers. People buy eggs or “chances” for springtime prizes such as Easter lilies and gift baskets.

Food Fight - Divide into two or more teams and elect captains. Team members collect money and turn in to captain. Team raising the most money is awarded a pizza/sub party, which they may verbally throw into their competitor’s faces.

Buttons - Give all who donate a button stating, “ I gave to United Way.”

Garage Sale - Find a volunteer willing to loan garage space or use work site after hours. Two or three weeks before the sale, employees bring in sale items which volunteers price and sell day of event. Advertise within the company and outer community.

Tourney Time - Hold a broomball, softball, tee-ball, kickball, racquetball, tennis, walleyball or ping-pong tournament.

Karaoke Contest - Hold a contest to determine who has the best and worst karaoke talent. Coworkers may buy votes ahead of time to elect the “Star of the Show” who will sing the first song. Charge an entrance fee for the show.

Jail And Bail - Hold in correlation with an employee picnic or carnival. Have a “Catch and Cuff ‘Em” Jail booth where employees pay to have co-workers, supervisors, managers or executives incarcerated for short periods during the event.

Team Tees - Design a T-shirt with your company logo joined with the United Way logo to give to contributing employees who “team up” in the United Way effort.

Slogan Contest - Employees develop in-house campaign slogans/themes. The committee picks the top ten, which are then voted on by the entire company, the winner receiving an award.

Wild West - Employees dress in cowboy/cowgirl attire. Works well with a BBQ or chili cook-off.

Grease - Have employees cast ballot for which members of the Executive Team should dress up like which characters in the musical Grease (or any other popular movie / play). Have them stand in front of the assembly of employees and let employees pick the best look-alike by loudness of applause. Charge them $1 per vote, with proceeds going to United Way.

Thank Yous - Thank employees in newsletters through e-mail with a special brunch or dinner payroll stuffer message of thanks personalized letters from the President at staff meetings with thank you mugs handed out by the CEO by hosting a United Way agency representative at a staff meeting who brings personal thank you greetings with thank you cards attached with heart pins (for “opening their hearts” or “having hearts of gold”) personal phone calls made by President or board members thank you posters that include the names of all donors (consider posting in public places) or an announcement on the local cable television station newspaper ads that recognize all donors by name thank you flyers on cars.

Or for an extra special Thanks - Hold an unexpected early morning meeting to say thank you and surprise employees by giving them the rest of the day off. Or have President or committee members treat each donor individually to lunch.