Aug. 16, 2022
By Carolyn Hyman
Central Pacific Bank (CPB) has partnered with Aloha United Way for many years as a Workplace Campaign Partner and in 2021, the organization raised more than they have ever raised previously. The $487,532.59 raised was due in part to the Central Pacific Bank corporate culture. Kayla Mikasa, the organization’s HR Benefits Supervisor and 2021 Campaign Coordinator shared some secrets behind CPB’s success.
“It had a lot to do with our leadership’s investment in the campaign,” shared Mikasa. She went on to explain that most of the leadership at CPB increased their donation from 2020 levels and recognized the opportunity to invest in community needs. The leadership team also wanted to set an example for the rest of the company. Blenn Fujimoto, Vice President at Central Pacific Bank shared, “we understand that giving to AUW starts with our leadership setting the example for our giving campaigns.” Fujimoto continued, “I have been involved with AUW for more than 40 years and developed a habit of contributing to the community and those who are less fortunate.”
The philanthropic message seems to permeate CPB’s culture and influence many aspects of what it means to be a good employee. Instead of emphasizing a financial goal, CPB attributes their fundraising success to emphasizing 100% participation over a dollar amount. The company also supports giving in other ways. “We provide 24 hours paid time to use for volunteer activities each year. That’s the equivalent of 3 days. An employee requests time to volunteer in much the same way they would request vacation time,” shared Mikasa. This commitment to volunteerism and giving back is part of the corporate fabric at CPB. In fact, volunteer and community service is part of the annual review process, as well.
When we asked Kayla to share the secret to employee engagement during the campaign, she shared a few simple tips, but said that the participation that she saw really had more to do with individual employee engagement than any single incentive.
“Our departments are competitive, so we announce weekly the percentages of participation across each department. As soon as a department reaches 100% participation, they receive raffle tickets. So, the faster a department reaches 100%, the more raffle tickets they receive,” the HR Benefits Supervisor shared. She went on to explain that the prize is as simple as bento lunches delivered to desks and that it’s more about the competition than the prize. Frequent reminders help and individual raffles for things like days off are always popular, but at the end of the day employees give to help their community.
If you’d like to learn more about Workplace Giving Campaigns and how they work in different workplace settings, from in-person to remote, contact us at fundraising@auw.org.