Laura Megahee, tax services senior manager, has led the Charlotte, North Carolina office's United Way campaign for the past four years. Over the years, she and many others involved in the campaign have worked hard to come up with new ideas and ways to engage and encourage McGladrey's Charlotte office to participate.
This year, the office is being recognized for their efforts and all of the hours, energy, and money they have donated, by being named one of the United Way's Spirit of North Carolina award winners. In 2014, the Charlotte United Way campaign raised $47,369.
Laura attributes this year’s award winning success to a focused plan of continuously improving their campaign every year. The campaign team, with support from the Charlotte partners, recognizes successful tactics from years past and continues to use them to drive participation. Classic campaign elements include an office-wide jeans month for reaching the office goal and a friendly fundraising competition between lines of business. Employees know these activities associated with the yearly United Way campaign and look forward to them each year.
In addition to continuing campaign favorites, Laura tried something new to bolster participation and improve the team’s impact in 2014. Laura used McGladrey’s national volunteer day as a way to show Charlotte employees how participation in the United Way campaign impacts their local community. Volunteers spent the day serving local branches of the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, which is an organization that receives support through the United Way. The volunteer event also coincided with North Carolina’s CPA Day of Service, a day in which CPAs across the state give back locally and highlight how CPAs are a vital part of both the financial and social fabric of North Carolina’s communities.
"By planning the volunteer day with an organization that receives United Way funds, we were able to experience exactly how our contributions affect the community," said Laura. "It was an eye-opening experience for many of our employees and I think it really made a difference in the desire to participate in the United Way campaign this year."
Not only did volunteers get hands on experience providing clubs with much needed fresh paint and participating in field day activities with local children from the clubs, but they also heard spokespeople from the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club talk about their organization, their mission, and, in particular, how the United Way supports them in meeting their goals.
Laura's hard work paid off compared to 2013, total employee giving increased 13 percent, leadership giving increased 16 percent, and the number of leaders who donated increased 22 percent in 2014. All of this prompted the United Way representative for the Charlotte office to nominate them for the Spirit of North Carolina award. After the nomination, Laura submitted an application and then received the good news that they won. On February 13, Laura and Mark Kral, Charlotte office managing partner, were able to attend the award ceremony to accept the award on behalf of the Charlotte office and everyone who participated in the 2014 campaign.
Congratulations Charlotte for making a difference in so many lives!
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