Children's Miracle Network Resource Area

How to Implement the Program

1. Secure Board of Directors & CU Management support - Perhaps the most important part of making this campaign a success is having the support of the credit union board of directors and managers. To show commitment to the project by the leaders of the credit union, be sure to supply each person with a contribution form and encourage their participation. It is important for the leaders of your credit union to "lead by example" and make donations to the project.

2. Sponsor a fundraiser - Once the credit union has committed to the project, find a person who is willing to serve as the project coordinator as well as people who are willing to serve on a CUs for Kids campaign committee. The committee’s assignment will be to determine how to promote the campaign at your credit union and to decide which type of fundraisers will be the most effective. Refer to the CU for Kids Fundraising Guidebook (enclosed).

3. Establish a donor board - decorate a poster or a bulletin board with the names of people who have made a donation to the campaign. Use colorful CUs for Kids balloons and write the names of the donors on them (call your CMN hospital contact for a supply of balloons).

4. Advertise - promote the program to employees and members by stuffing donation forms in monthly statements, handing forms to people when they come to the credit union, mentioning the program in newsletters, hanging posters, and decorating bulletin boards.

5. Involve the community - donations to the CUs for Kids project can come from anyone who wishes to participate. Place an ad in a local paper asking for donations or send our a press release (sample enclosed) to let neighbors know about the project and to solicit their support. Send letters to local businesses to ask for their participation.

6. Inform the media - send out press releases to local television stations, radio stations and newspapers to inform them about the project. Encourage them to come out and visit the credit union to take pictures of your members making donations. Children and local "celebrities" making donations are great photo opportunities.

To get the best results with television and radio stations, follow up the press release with a phone call. All broadcast stations are obligated to run public service announcements and information on charitable events usually falls into this category. Some stations have a community calendar time slot set aside for these type of announcements.

If there is media coverage in your area for this project, please send a copy of the newspaper article or a letter explaining the television or radio coverage to the Public Relations Department at the Illinois Credit Union League, PO Box 3107, Naperville, IL 60566-7107.