Problem

United Way relies on workplace giving for 70% of its annual funding, but its donation model has a major challenge:

• Each of its 500+ partner companies has one volunteer tasked with convincing their coworkers to donate—with no budget and minimal support.

• The traditional approach involved intellectual arguments and statistics, which weren’t compelling enough to drive engagement.

• Volunteers struggled to make an emotional connection, leading to stagnant donation levels.

Solution

I designed a low-cost, high-impact campaign-in-a-box that workplace volunteers could easily implement, creating an emotional experience rather than a sales pitch. The “Shoes” campaign worked in four key stages:

1. Shoe Drive – Employees donate unused shoes to support Dress for Success (helping low-income women) and Share Your Soles (donating to developing countries).

2. Reinterpretation & Reveal – Shoes are tagged with first-person stories from those in need, placed throughout the office overnight with the slogan: “We’d help you, if you were in their shoes.” Employees arrive to a powerful visual impact, making the United Way donation request far more compelling.

3. Citywide PR Stunt – Thousands of donated shoes are displayed in public spaces, increasing awareness of United Way’s impact.

4. Shoe Donation – The campaign comes full circle, reinforcing the real-world impact of giving.

Result

• 21% increase in average workplace donations.

• Volunteers found it easier to inspire co-workers, reducing the burden of their role.

• The campaign scaled easily across multiple offices, creating a repeatable model.

• The public PR stunt amplified United Way’s visibility in Chicago.

Takeaway

People don’t donate because of data—they donate because of emotion and experience. By transforming the workplace giving journey into a tangible, visual, and relatable story, I helped unlock more generosity with fewer obstacles.