In past posts, we discussed how participating in charitable causes can boost employee retention, especially among Millennials. Giving employees opportunities to give back to their communities also instills pride in both themselves and their organization. They feel proud to work for an apartment community that supports philanthropic programs, which often leads to stronger loyalty.
A toy drive offers the perfect chance to involve both employees and residents in a meaningful cause. Below are tips for running a successful toy drive at your apartment community—one that can increase overall employee and resident satisfaction during the holiday season!
Step 1:
Pick a charity to receive the donated toys. Each charity will have specific needs—such as age groups or gender preferences—and can guide you on what to request from employees and residents. Popular options include Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, and the YMCA. It’s important that the Apartment Community Director make the final decision rather than leaving it up to staff deliberation. Charities can feel very personal, and this approach prevents disappointment if someone’s preferred cause isn’t chosen.
Step 2:
Call a meeting with your employees to announce the exciting news: your apartment community will organize a toy drive for children in need in your city! Assign each employee a specific role so they feel actively involved in the effort. Your staff will run the drive and take the lead in engaging residents. Roles to assign include:
* Charity Ambassador: the person is in charge of communicating with the chosen charity and then relaying the instructions and goals to the rest of the team. The Charity Ambassador will be the point-person for any information needed for the other Ambassadors to do their jobs. Make sure the person you give this job to is enthusiastic, has strong leadership skills and is organized.
* Advertising Ambassador: the person in-charge of printing and making the flyers to alert residents and also provide content such as pictures of incoming toys and other images for use on your social media.
* City Ambassador: if you choose to involve the city your apartment property resides in, this person will be in charge of advertising with local papers and businesses to let city residents know where they can drop off donations. Ask businesses for prizes like discounts, coupons, or gift cards to encourage donations.
* Transportation Ambassador: the person in charge of transporting donations to the charity. If you are involving the city, this person would coordinate with local drop-off points and the Charity Ambassador to collect the donations and get them to the charity.
* Volunteer/Holiday Party Ambassador: You may choose to have the drive stretch over a period of time, with it culminating in a resident holiday party to end the drive and celebrate everyone’s efforts. In this instance, you may want to have residents volunteer to help organize the donations on that big day. The Volunteer Ambassador would coordinate the holiday party and organize the volunteers for that day.
Step 3:
Decide on a weekly meeting time so your team can stay on track. The Apartment Community Director should attend every meeting to ensure everything runs smoothly. The Charity Ambassador will lead the meetings and confirm that all Ambassadors are fulfilling their roles.
There you have it! The key to a successful charitable campaign is keeping everyone confident in their positions and on track with praise, motivation, and weekly check-ins. You might also surprise your team with a small gift at the end of the drive to recognize their hard work.
By giving your apartment employees the chance to give back during the holiday season, you improve their overall experience within your community. Most importantly, your property makes a real difference for those in need—and that is the ultimate goal.