The SHRM Foundation's Leadership Campaign is a vehicle to ask your chapter or state council board members to make a personal donation to the SHRM Foundation.
Donations from chapter and state council leaders are especially valued. These charitable donations are a strong demonstration of our leaders' commitment to the SHRM Foundation's charitable mission.
For the past several years, 100% of the Board members of the SHRM Foundation, SHRM, and HR Certification Institute, as well as the members of the Membership Advisory Council, have each made a personal charitable contribution to the SHRM Foundation.
NOTE: As outlined in the SHRM Affiliate Program for Excellence (SHAPE) planning workbooks, your chapter or state council must conduct a Leadership Campaign in order to qualify for a Gold Award or Platinum Award.
To qualify for a Gold Award, you must encourage your board members to make a minimum individual donation of $25 each with a goal of 100% participation. To qualify for a Platinum Award, you must achieve 100% participation of board members making a minimum donation of $25 each.
Suggestions for Your Chapter or State Council's Leadership Campaign
- You may wish to launch a Leadership Campaign at the beginning of the year, when your leadership is beginning their terms of service. This is a great way to "kick-start" the year's fundraising efforts.
- Decide who will lead this effort (Chapter President? State Council director? SHRM Foundation representative?). Ask that person to make a personal donation to the SHRM Foundation first, so that you can honestly use the words "Join me in supporting the SHRM Foundation..."
- Establish a target date by which you would like to announce that you have achieved your goal of 100% participation.
- Announce the Leadership Campaign at a board meeting or send a letter or e-mail with a phone call to follow-up. Here is some sample language and a sample letter you can use.
- Encourage your board members to give at a level that is significant and generous to them. For some people, this may be $50 and for others this may be $500. You may want to remind your board members that all donations of $25 or more will be listed in the Foundation's annual "Honor Roll" brochure. Giving circles are as follows:
--- Chair's Circle ($2,500+)
--- CEO's Circle ($1,000 - $2,499)
--- President's Circle ($500 - $999)
--- Vice President's Circle ($250 - $499)
--- Director's Circle ($100 - $249)
--- Manager's Circle ($50 - $99)
--- Professional's Circle ($25 - $49)
- To keep track of your progress, compile the names and contact information for your chapter or state council's board members and check off donations as you receive them. See sample spreadsheet.
- Your board members may send donations directly to the SHRM Foundation (via online donation or through the mail), or you can collect donations (in sealed envelopes to protect donor confidentiality). If you collect the donations, please forward them to the SHRM Foundation at your earliest convenience.
- You can check the monthly reports to see which of your chapter or state council leaders have donated. These reports show the names of the individuals but not their donation amounts. (Click on your region’s individual donor report to see a listing of individual donors in your state.)
- Plan a couple of reminders to those who have not yet donated. For example, you might announce the Leadership Campaign at a Board meeting, follow up a few days later with an e-mail, and then make a round of phone calls a few weeks after that.
NOTE: Remember that the Leadership Campaign is "above and beyond" your chapter or state council's own monetary donation.
When you have reached 100% participation in the Leadership Campaign, announce this accomplishment to your full membership and celebrate!
If you have any questions, please contact Janée Nouët-Morales at janee@shrm.org or 703-535-6159.