A lot of good is done through workplace giving campaigns every year and it’s important to remember exactly what motivates employees to give and how organizations can better represent themselves within these campaigns. We spoke with our friends at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut to discuss their highly successful workplace giving campaign, which raised over $700,000 for charity this past year.
What inspires businesses to participate in workplace giving campaigns in the first place, and how can employees be engaged to contribute to the great work nonprofits are already doing? The following short interviews provide both tips and insights for businesses and nonprofits alike who want to achieve success through workplace giving.
Employee Engagement, Workplace Giving, and Successful Campaigns
Kyle Fusaro is the Eagleview HR Manager at Mohegan Sun and has been organizing workplace giving campaign participation at the company for many years now. We talked to Kyle about his experiences, opinions, and recommendations when it comes to workplace giving programming.
Q: In your opinion, what has been the biggest factor(s) toward the success of Mohegan Sun’s workplace giving campaign?
A big part of our success is due to incentivizing the donation with a thank you gift. We look to use internal resources like leftover giveaway items and Prize PTO to help drive donations. Another key factor is consistency. Our Giving Campaign has been held during the same time of year from the beginning, so Team Members are more likely to remember and look forward to it.
Q: What would you recommend to companies that are just starting out with employee engagement initiatives and workplace giving campaigns? Any tips?
One recommendation I have for a company just starting out would be to make sure Leadership and Management Teams are involved. Having departmental leadership help communicate and promote any initiative or campaign is essential to the success we’ve experienced.
Q: What has been Mohegan Sun’s motivation to consistently include environmental causes? Do you think it’s important for other companies to do the same?
Charity donations are a very personal choice. We feel it’s important for us to give employees options to choose from. This year we had a noticeable uptick in individual donation choices to EarthShare Nonprofit Partners. This shows that employees like the opportunity to choose exactly where their money is going.
From the President's Perspective
We also had the opportunity to speak with Jeffrey Hamilton, President and General Manager of Mohegan Sun, to discuss the important role Leadership plays in the success of workplace giving campaigns.
Q: Mohegan Sun’s workplace giving campaign is very successful, so the employees clearly enjoy it. As President, why do you think offering a workplace giving campaign to your staff is so important?
I am a strong believer that organizations, as much as it is possible, should have campaigns and efforts focused on workplace giving and volunteer opportunities. These initiatives are very important for both Mohegan Sun and the Mohegan Tribe, and it has been that way for a very long time.
I think the campaigns that we have in these areas are not only very well run, but they strengthen our teamwork as a company, building relationships and contributing to our success along the way. We often look for organizations that our Team Members are passionate about. This has really made a difference and increased participation.
Q: Mohegan Sun is also a big supporter of local outreach and initiatives. From your perspective, why is it so important to give back to your community and allow your employees to do the same?
Mohegan Sun’s community initiatives have involved clean-up assistance with the United Way for historic sites in our region, fundraising walks for the American Heart Association, various ‘Blue Jeans’ days to support Veteran programs, food drives and toy drives around the holidays, and so much more. These efforts build character and allow our leadership and team members to be a part of important causes and help raise awareness for them. It really is part of our culture and I believe our Team Members enjoy and take pride that they can participate in these types of events. I think that goes a long way from both a personal and career perspective!
EarthShare is also happy to announce Mohegan Sun as a Founding Sponsor of our EarthShare Common Ground Connecticut initiative, which works to protect and create equitable and accessible open space throughout the state.
