Award Qualifications
The LIVE United Award is given to the organization that exemplifies United Way’s core of Give, Advocate and Volunteer goals throughout the year.
The following lists the goals and strategies for each area that will help your organization to be a LIVE United organization in the three areas of Give, Advocate and Volunteer.
Overall Strategy: Develop a United Way team within your company to plan events and activities that meet each month within your organization. Ensure each person has the full support of their supervisor so their volunteering does not become a burden on the supervisor or the team member.
click below to Watch the 2023 live united award NOMINEE videos (created by Sublime media group):
give:
Goal:
Must have an increase in combined corporate and employee giving so the most critical and serious issues impacting Education, Income, Health, and Safety Net in our communities are met.
Strategy Ideas:
- Develop and maintain an active campaign team representing numerous, if not all, departments within your company.
- Recruit an employee coordinator that is an opinion leader within your organization.
- Have strong top management support.
- Hold education campaign meetings with all employees and give each employee the opportunity to make a donation to United Way (do not apply pressure or force).
- With education comes the desire to support United Way financially.
- Conduct a Leadership Giving program with those who have the ability to donate at least $20 a week.
- Conduct special events (chili suppers, soup day, pancake breakfast, dunking booth) throughout the year that raises awareness of United Way and donate the money earned to United Way.
- Percent participation should be at least 50%.
- Per capita giving should be in the top 1/3 of all of the United Way Southern Kentucky’s supporting companies.
ADVOCATE:
Goal:
Educate and communicate the goals, objectives and results of UW throughout your company on a year-round basis ensuring everyone has a full understanding of the accomplishments and outcomes of their investment.
Strategy Ideas:
- Forward UW E-news letters to team members.
- Duplicate UW stories and information from the E-News letter into your company news letter.
- Include United Way logo in your purchased print advertisement*.
- Include tag line “LIVE United….support United Way” in your video commercials*.
- Place “LIVE United…support United Way www.uwsk.org” or the United Way logo in your company email signature*.
- Conduct LIVE United day with your company and encourage and allow everyone to wear the LIVE United T-Shirt.
*must receive brand compliance guidelines and approval from the Director of Marketing & Communications, Elizabeth Newbould at info@uwsk.org, prior to developing print or video advertisement. We have strict guidelines as to who can and cannot use our brand and they must be followed at all times.
VOLUNTEER:
Goal:
To get a large percentage of your team members to volunteer with United Way in any and all of the following areas:
{Participation is calculated by number of people involved compared to overall number employed.}
- Volunteer Committee
- Feed the Need
- Read Across America
- Campaign Volunteer
- Allocations Committee
- Day of Caring
- Volunteer to help with Education, Income, Health and Safety Net issues throughout the year
Strategy Ideas:
Appoint a committee to oversee the involvement of your company in these areas. Ensure they have the flexibility and support of their supervisors.
Don’t forget to document your activities! Feel free to contact the media to get them to cover the story.
SPIRIT UNITED Award
The Spirit United Award is presented to the organization that embodies the Live United spirit through year round support and enthusiasm for United Way. (Note: Organizations considered for the Spirit United Award DO NOT have to have increased giving over the previous year).
SHOOTING STAR Award
The United Way of Southern Kentucky has established the local Shooting Star Award to annually honor an individual who exemplifies the organization’s commitment to helping people overcome personal difficulties and become self-sufficient.
I. Criteria
The nominee should be a recipient of United Way services who has shown courage and tenacity in overcoming obstacles and has been undaunted by personal difficulties. With the help of a United Way funded program (or multiple programs), he or she will have exemplified strength of human spirit and will have used United Way supported services to build a better life for him or herself and his or her family.
II. Nomination
The nomination will be made by the United Way partner agency that has provided the main services to the client. Only one nomination per agency, please. The agency with the winning nomination will be notified by telephone the following week.
III. Helpful tips
Pictures should be included (digital pictures via email are preferred). Be specific and concise. List all services provided to the nominee. The impact of the help given to the client, his or her family or the community will be taken into account as well as any unusual challenges the nominee has had to overcome. Special consideration will be given to those clients who have had successes in the areas of Education, Income, Health and/or Safety Net through a collaboration of organizations.
Call Cheryl Lyons at 270-843-3205 or email clyons@uwsk.org if you need additional information or help.
