Anita Eggleston believes blessings come her way when she helps others. So when given the opportunity to serve as campaign manager for the Defense Logistics Agency’s 2018 Combined Federal Campaign in the National Capital Area, she took it.
Her boss made the offer by phone on Eggleston’s birthday, Sept. 5, when she was on annual leave.
“I thought, ‘That sounds like a fulltime job and I’m already doing two fulltime jobs.’ But I like helping people and you never know when I might need my agency’s support,” she said.
Knowing she’d be given resources to push toward the agency’s daunting $300,000 goal, Eggleston set out for success.
“I knew whatever amount we raised would be beneficial,” she said.
The role of DLA NCA campaign manager rotates annually among DLA Headquarters directorates. The transition usually occurs between March and May, giving campaign managers ample time to identify coordinators and keyworkers plus arrange training so they’re up-to-date on changes. Promotional items like posters also have to be ordered.
Eggleston, who works in DLA Logistics Information, had just five days between accepting the role and the start of the 2018 campaign on Sept. 10. Still, she managed to orchestrate the McNamara Headquarters Complex kickoff ceremony that took place Oct. 22 and incorporated tenant organizations such as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
“It was overwhelming because I wasn’t able to transition with the campaign manager from the year before because he was deployed to another country and there was a 10-hour time difference between us,” she said. “I kept hearing about the infamous ‘Continuity Book’ and how it had all these amazing tips about running the campaign, but I never saw it.”
Planning the kickoff and building a group of trained coordinators and keyworkers who could assist employees with pledges and navigating the Office of Personnel Management’s online giving portal was just Part One of Eggleston’s work. She also hosted several charity fairs that gave employees the opportunity to learn more about specific charities. Her goal: getting people to give.
“You really have to be creative to entice people to give, doing things like using creative prizes in raffle drawings to get them excited about the cause,” she said, also acknowledging the fine line between reoccurring communication with employees and being a pest.
“I tried to be as frequent as possible in the messaging but not a pain in the backside, because people will stop reading your emails and hit ‘delete.’”
Though time was Eggleston’s first hurdle, her biggest obstacle was employees’ frustration with online tools. National campaign managers already knew from feedback after the 2017 campaign that employees wanted a more user-friendly portal.
“Some people were diligent and would come to me or other coordinators and keyworkers to say they couldn’t get in and ask for help,” she added. “Others said, ‘Forget it. I’m not donating.’”
And while HQC employees weren’t involved in the furlough that affected federal agencies such as the U.S. State Department, many chose not to participate in CFC because of it. Still, Eggleston focused on those with big hearts and generous spirits. And she found proof that employee contributions were being used for good.
“During that shutdown, I actually saw on the news where one of the charities said the federal government had been good to them through the CFC, so they were giving food to the families of some of the employees who’d been furloughed,” she said. “That was very motivating for me.”
Fundraising events like bake sales have been restricted for several years now, and Eggleston frequently heard employees say there was no longer any fun in CFC drives. Cash donations are also a thing of the past.
“A lot of people were like, ‘I got money for you,’ but I couldn’t take it. Unfortunately, CFC misses out on a lot of potential donations this way,” she continued.
DLA employees in the NCA raised $268,000 for the 2018 campaign. While donors gave various amounts, the total equals about $812 per person for the 330 employees who gave.
“It’s not so much the goal that’s important as getting people engaged in helping others, because you never know what could happen,” she said. “You never know when you might find yourself in need.”
The 2019 campaign will be managed by DLA Acquisition. The next manager, however, will have a Continuity Book complete with lessons learned, notes and checklists, Eggleston added.