Cardinal Health, Inc.
http://www.cardinal.com/Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is an $87 billion, global company serving the health-care industry with products and services that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce costs, improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better care to patients. With a focus on making supply chains more efficient, reducing hospital-acquired infections and breaking the cycle of harmful medication errors, Cardinal Health develops market-leading technologies, including Alaris® IV pumps, Pyxis® automated dispensing systems, MedMined® data mining software and the CareFusion™ patient identification system. The company also manufactures medical and surgical products and is one of the largest distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies worldwide. Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500 and No. 1 in its sector on Fortune's ranking of Most Admired firms, Cardinal Health employs more than 40,000 people on five continents. More information about the company may be found at www.cardinalhealth.com.
Quick Tips:
- Getting top leadership onboard helps drive the campaign.
- Offer the kinds of incentives that your employees really want.
- Educate employees about the work of United Way partner agencies.
- Make the campaign fun and interesting.
Leading from Strength
At Cardinal Health, getting top leadership involved is the biggest element in the success of their campaign. Presenting ideas and goals to the CEO helped encourage his enthusiasm for the project, and inspired him to participate on many levels, from hosting a leadership kickoff meeting to personally encouraging leaders to participate at a generous financial level. As a result, 90% of the leadership team pledged at the suggested amount.
Leadership team members not only support Cardinal’s campaign financially, but are visible and involved in the campaign activities, emphasizing the company’s commitment to and understanding of the importance of United Way.
The support shown by this leadership group resonated well with all Cardinal Health employees and inspired everyone to consider supporting their community.
Knowledge Is Power
Cardinal Health keeps their people informed.As a follow-up to their campaign, they implemented a monthly “First Fridays” event which showcase a different agency and also permitted employees to wear jeans. A dedicated intranet site, promotional posters and an in-person visit from the agency supports their continued efforts to educate their employees. Cardinal Health also supports the volunteer efforts of their employees through their Employees CARE Program. This Program provides an opportunity to apply for individual volunteer leadership grants as well as team fundraising or project grants designed to recognize the support our employees provide to eligible non-profit organizations.
Expanding on a Good Thing
Because Cardinal Health is a large company, with diverse locations and employee groups, they try to tailor events specifically for each location and rely on a network of volunteers to help with their campaign. Each year, they look at the previous year’s goal and response, and structure their campaign to establish realistic, reachable goals and to expand on positive results and activities.
Experience has shown, for example, that their “First Fridays” promotion for their Dublin-based employees was extremely popular at all levels. Cardinal Health also staged raffles and conducted an on-line auction last year, with a diverse selection of prizes and items that appealed to a broad range of employees.
