UNITED WAY SPEAKERS BUREAU HANDBOOK SPEAKERS BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS. unitedwaymiami.org

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1 UNITED WAY SPEAKERS BUREAU HANDBOOK SPEAKERS BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS unitedwaymiami.org

2 BASICS By featuring speakers who have relationships with United Way at campaign meetings, United Way of Miami-Dade is able to bring the value of donations to life. The United Way Speakers Bureau is your opportunity to showcase the great work we are all doing together and thereby encourage supporters to give. Thank you for your participation and continued support! HOW THE PROCESS WORKS 1. Speaker request. Employee Campaign Managers (ECMs) request speakers for workplace campaign meetings through United Way s Development Staff. 2. Request to Speak . United Way will send you a Request to Speak - please respond within 24 hours. Note: Although we ask ECMs for two weeks notice, we frequently must try to accommodate shorter lead times. 3. Confirmation. Once a match is confirmed, the Engagement Coordinator sends a calendar invite with a detailed confirmation via to the speaker and the United Way Development Staff, who will also present at the campaign meeting. 4. Speech length. Speaking engagements usually range from three to 10 minutes. Be prepared with speeches of multiple lengths in case there are last-minute changes i.e., you were told 10 minutes, but end up with three. 5. Meetings. Please arrive 10 minutes before the meeting. By arriving early, you can meet the United Way Development Staff and the ECM, and prepare for a terrific meeting. 6. Cancellations. Company cancellations sometimes happen, often without much warning. Please provide an emergency phone number, so we can reach you promptly should there be a last-minute cancellation. And of course, sometimes speakers need to cancel too. We ask that you please give us as much advance notification as possible. You should contact the Engagement Coordinator, Scarlett Montenegro, via montenegros@unitedwaymiami.org or phone (305) or cell (786) Speakers Bureau Handbook

3 DEVELOPING YOUR PRESENTATION Your presentation will usually be part of a longer meeting that may feature a United Way video and remarks from a United Way representative and/or staff from the organization you visit. Please become familiar with United Way videos and marketing materials in advance. You may review some of these materials online at PREPARE 1. It s a great idea to develop a short, 2-3 minute speech as well as a longer, 5-10 minute speech. That way you ll be prepared for any speaking engagement. The Engagement Coordinator will tell you how much time you can expect to have, so you can practice your presentation to fit the allotted time. 2. Think about your program, agency and/or personal relationship with United Way how together we are building a stronger Miami-Dade... for us all. 3. Learn basic information about the organization you are visiting, from what they do to their business attire. And, find out the number of people that will be in the audience. The Engagement Coordinator will help you to obtain this information. 4. Know where to go and when to be there. This information is provided by the Engagement Coordinator. If you have any questions, contact the Engagement Coordinator at or cell Use the Build Your Speech section on page 4 to map your United Way story. Many speakers find it helpful to write the major points of a speech on note cards. CAUTION: do not write your entire speech and attempt to read it. For example, if your organization has partnered with United Way since 1924 to empower women, here s what your five key words/phrases may be: Together since 1924 Empowering women and girls Today, 150 girls Shana s story Thank you 6. Once you map your story, the rest is simple: Introduce yourself, your agency/program and/or your role with United Way Tell your mapped out story Thank the audience for their generosity and ask them to please consider giving again Campaign Champions Meetup

4 BUILD YOUR SPEECH - MAP For an effective speech, explain how you and/or your organization partners with United Way, what the connection is and how we all work together to improve the community. FOR AGENCY STAFF Hello, my name is. [Your Agency Name] is a proud and valued partner of United Way of Miami-Dade. One two sentences about your agency mission/history/focus area/client population. The success of the United Way campaign is critical to strengthening our community. I m here today to show you how your gift to United Way s campaign helps us improve lives in our community. Use examples of the following: A story of a person or family whose life was improved A story of one program funded by United Way A story of collaboration between your agency and United Way Bring it back to United Way: As important as my agency/program s work is, the community continues to need a wide range of services to serve complex needs. With your contribution, the 54 United Way partner agencies will continue serving the community. Thank you for gift, and please continue supporting United Way. FOR NON-AGENCY STAFF (VOLUNTEERS, ADVOCATES, SUPPORTERS, CLIENTS) Hello, my name is. Jump into your story Offer a few sentences on when, where and why you became involved with United Way or one of its partner agencies. Start from the beginning and tell them where you are now. These questions will help you map your story: Did you want to get involved with your community and didn t know where to start? Did you fall on hard times and needed assistance? Who did you reach out to? Did a friend or colleague approach you? How has your life changed because you got involved with United Way? What I now understand is the success of United Way is critical to strengthening our entire community. With your contribution, 54 United Way partner agencies will continue serving those who need it most. And United Way will continue to advocate for better policies for children and families, and will continue to find solutions to emerging community issues. Thank you for gift and please continue to support United Way. 4 Speakers Bureau Handbook

5 TIPS BEFORE THE SPEECH Practice. Experienced speakers agree - you NEED to practice out loud. If you practice your speech in front of a friend or colleague, you will work out kinks and relax. Practice, practice, practice. Dress. The Engagement Coordinator will inform you if you re going to a grocery store or a law firm please dress accordingly. Jewelry should be discreet and not noisy. Hair should be neat. If you re going to be outdoors, please take this into consideration. Learn the room. Arrive early, so you may walk around, check out the microphone etc Go to the restroom, turn off your phone, have a drink of water. If possible, meet some of the audience before the presentation. It s easier to speak to friends. DURING THE SPEECH Relax and breathe. Concentrate on your mapped out story, not your nerves. Don t turn your back to the audience. Don t fiddle with props, a pen, your hair etc Be confident. You are the expert on you and your organization. Be yourself. Speak naturally, clearly and use understandable words no jargon! Adjust your tone level to room and audience size. Use natural hand gestures use your hands to help your tempo and help emphasize certain points. Make eye contact. Look at the audience throughout your speech remember to look around the room at groups of people. Keep a pleasant expression; smile when appropriate. Stay within the time allotted. Thank them. Campaign Champions Meetup

6 TROUBLESHOOTING 1. I need to cancel. We sincerely appreciate your willingness to help and can appreciate that emergencies can arise that make it impossible to keep your commitment. We also appreciate your willingness to pinch-hit for fellow speakers on short notice. If you need to cancel, please call the Engagement Coordinator, Scarlett Montenegro, at (305) or cell (786) I need more information. Our goal is to provide you with as much information as possible about your audience and the meeting environment. Review your confirmation promptly to see if you need more information, so we can contact the company with your questions as soon as possible. 3. I went to the organization and the meeting was cancelled/i couldn t get in. Unfortunately, sometimes schedules change and we don t receive notice. This miscommunication can lead to speakers showing up at cancelled meetings. While this doesn t happen often, it has occurred in the past. Please accept our sincere apologies in advance for any hardship, and make sure to contact the Engagement Coordinator if this happens. 4. The conditions were terrible. The room was too small, the acoustics awful, the machinery too noisy, the Employee Campaign Managers were nowhere to be found there are plenty of ways the environment can make it difficult to conduct a good presentation. Some are impossible to fix, but we ask you to follow through with your speech, then inform the Engagement Coordinator of the situation. 5. No one from United Way was at the meeting. It is inappropriate for United Way to ask a speaker to carry the full responsibility for an entire campaign meeting. A United Way representative will be scheduled to attend every meeting with you. If the United Way staff has an emergency, we truly appreciate your understanding. We ask that you please introduce yourself to the organization and carry out your presentation. 6 Speakers Bureau Handbook

7 UNITED WAY S CAMPAIGN MESSAGING Great things happen when we LIVE UNITED. Our marketing materials and campaign presentations focus on the messages outlined below Campaign key messages include: ALICE REPORT Did you know that 50% of our neighbors are unable to consistently afford life s basic necessities? The 2014 United Way ALICE Report * (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) revealed that: 29 percent of all households in Miami-Dade are one emergency away from falling into poverty and 21 percent of households are already in poverty. These are our neighbors and friends who are in need. This is our community, our home. We must continue to help. WHAT WE RE DOING. TOGETHER. Elevating the quality of early education in Miami-Dade and beyond through our United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education Providing a full range of financial services and support for working individuals and families through two United Way Center for Financial Stability locations Helping Miami-Dade residents achieve improved health by offering prescriptions at a lower cost through our partnership with FamilyWize Helping children, adults and families thrive by funding 113 programs at 54 Impact Partners throughout Miami-Dade that improve the education, financial stability and health of our residents WITH UNITED WAY, YOU CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION Since 1924, United Way of Miami-Dade continues to strengthen our local community by helping people care for one another within the three building blocks for a good quality of life. EDUCATION: helping young children enter school ready to learn FINANCIAL STABILITY: helping individuals and families pave a path to financial independence HEALTH: offering programs that improve overall health All we need is YOU. Your support and partnership are the most powerful tools for change. Campaign Champions Meetup

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