UNITED WAY OF GREATER ST. LOUIS, INC.
Volunteer Center
SUGGESTIONS FOR PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL
DAYS OF CARING PROJECT
The United Way wants each company and participating employee to thoroughly enjoy their Days of
Caring experience. To aid in the success of such an event, please find the following suggestions which,
when included in your company’s planning process, can help ensure a positive experience for
everyone. The United Way is always available to answer any questions before, during, or after your
project.
Applying for a Project
 Before submitting a Days of Caring project application, carefully consider the questions asked on
the application, particularly the type of project desired and anticipated number of employee
volunteers. The application allows you to pick from several broad-based project categories such as
“Activities with the Elderly” or “Cleaning/Sorting”. These are provided to help frame your request.
However, if you have a particular project in mind, such as reading stories to pre-school children in
a day care setting, please indicate on the application. Every attempt will be made to match your
request with an appropriate organization. Further, if you have a specific agency in mind for your
project, please indicate on the application.
 Agencies have been encouraged to be creative in submitting potential Days of Caring projects.
Examples of potential projects include, but are not limited to:
Field trip to a park, Zoo, museum
Bicycle/tricycle wash
Classroom makeover
Create puzzles
Cooking class
Mentor/Tutor for a morning or for a day
Life Skills training (e.g. how to save, money and banking)
Coach sports activities
Organize a baseball/softball tournament
BBQ cookout
Agency Olympics
Make new student survival kits
Unbirthday party (where everyone's special day is celebrated)
Holiday Caroling
Teach a session on safety (fire safety, walk at night)
Build model airplanes that fly well
Fitness day
Organize a concert by making homemade musical instruments
Make a terrarium
School supply drive
Make crime clue boxes to help youth understand safety issues
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Trim a mitten tree
Story telling/singing songs/interactive reading
Messy Play Day -- making "goop" out of shaving cream and food coloring
Poison control awareness campaign
Plan and host a baby shower (diaper drive, personal care items)
Teach kids how to cook healthy meals
Teach job skills to youth, to retirees, to persons with disabilities
Community integration (shopping, practice communication skills)
Social entrepreneur activities (e.g. make and sell art work)
Clean/Yard Work at client's home
Home decorating
Indoor volleyball tournament
Wheelchair or adaptive equipment repair/cleaning/makeover
Sports Day
Life Skills training (e.g. how to save, money and banking)
Arts & Crafts
Fishing day at Forest Park with immigrants/refugees to practice English
language communication skills
Assist persons who are homeless shop with dignity
Field trip with clients to go apple picking at Eckert’s
Tour a college, university, medical facility, robotics facility
Career Day
Serve lunch at a shelter
Promote tolerance and understanding
Make "I Care" personal care kits for persons who are homeless (toiletries, skin
care, hair care products)
Host a food collection drive
Plan and provide a picnic for clients and families
Special activity with clients (party, outing, musical performance, story telling,
puppet show)
Walk/brush animals
Yard work
Mulching
Neighborhood beautification
Restore a building
Winterize a home
Create a community garden
Clean animal kennels
Make window flower boxes
Grow a pizza garden--all the ingredients you need to spice up a pizza
Repair work at an agency's camp
Paint an indoor/outdoor mural or map
Wash windows
Remove debris from around the area
Clean up the parking lot
Paint/repair fences
Paint rooms and offices
Plant trees and shrubs
Recycling contest
Improve the look of your neighborhood
Paint over graffiti
Plant flowers
Beautify a park or lot near your agency
Beauty Makeover Day - hair/skin/nail care makeover, fingernail painting party
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Friendly visitor for clients
Board Game Day/Friendly competition
Card games/Bridge tournament
Host an ice cream social
American Idol Day – Karaoke
Scrap booking
Quilting
Clean a client's home
Senior Prom
Shopping Day
BINGO
"Remember When" History Day - Bring in an old newspaper and talk about the
news and ads
Paint-a-thon to help senior citizens, low-income residents and people with
special needs
Adopt a GrandFriend
Make gift baskets
Make housewarming baskets (cleaning supplies for the home)
Bunko
Bocce Ball
Make or fill spring baskets
Make jewelry with beads and gems
Make and fill holiday stockings
Sort canned goods at a pantry
Sort clothing donations
Wash windows
Wash agency vehicles
Sort/wrap holiday gifts
Recycling drive
Decorate an agency for a holiday
Make educational packets
Help mail out bulk mail newsletters
Create a website for an agency
Create a Face Book page for an agency
Network an agency's computer system
Rehabilitate/Rebuild agency's computers
Data entry
Cooking/Baking Day with clients
Sports Camp
Dress for Success
Mock interviews
Holiday Caroling
Dance contest with clients
Canned food drive
Winter coat drive
Recycling drive
Set-up/clean-up for a special event
Preparing/serving a meal for clients
Organize/build shelves
Build a playground
Create a nature path
Refurbish playground equipment
Build a fountain
Build benches
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 The number of anticipated company volunteers is crucial to the selection of an appropriate Days of
Caring project for your business. Initial surveying of employee interest might help estimate this
number. Sticking as closely to the originally anticipated number of company volunteers will help
ensure the project is completed in the time allotted and/or prevent completion of a project too early.
 The United Way encourages your company to identify a specific date for your Days of Caring
project. This will aid in quickly securing a project.
 Identify someone in your company to be the coordinator of your Days of Caring project. This
person would work with United Way and the agency on project logistics, help secure volunteers for
the project, communicate all project logistics, and troubleshoot any problems which might arise.
The role of this person is critical to ensuring the success of your project.
Scheduling a Project
 Try, whenever possible, to contact the United Way about scheduling your Days of Caring project at
least three (3) weeks prior to your desired project date. This will allow the United Way ample time
to send and receive your application and then match your company with an agency project which
best meets your needs as well as theirs. This also allows the participating organization to
thoroughly plan for a successful event. The United Way understands that such notice may not
always be possible and will make every effort to respond to your request for a project. However, a
project cannot be guaranteed.
Liability and Risk Management
 Each company volunteer is required to sign a volunteer release form upon arrival at the Days of
Caring project releasing the United Way of Greater St. Louis, the agency, its sponsors, and
supervisors of all activities from any and all liability connected to participation in the event. The
form also holds harmless any person transporting participants to or from the event. Children must
have the form signed by a parent or legal guardian.
 The United Way encourages you to speak with your company’s legal and/or insurance
representatives to determine your company’s potential liability risk, if any.
 The best way to reduce your company’s risk of potential pitfalls is to clearly discuss the following
topics with your Days of Caring agency and with participating company employees:
 transportation to and from the site
 parking
 specific activities to be completed by volunteers - clearly define these for employees,
discouraging anyone from participating who cannot meet any minimum skills required (i.e.,
if the project requires hammering nails, make sure volunteers are aware of this and can
complete such a task)
 interaction with clients. Some agencies will not allow volunteers to interact with clients.
Please do not take offense as the agency is protecting its clients and reducing its own
liability factors
 special training needed before beginning the project. Some agencies may require a brief
orientation or training before working with a given population to help familiarize volunteers
with the clients served and improve the quality of service provided
 special equipment/supplies needed for the project, such as sunblock if the project will occur
outside during daylight hours
United Way of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Volunteer Center
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Follow Through
 Agencies put much time and effort into planning a meaningful Days of Caring project for a
company. For that reason, please make every attempt to follow through on your scheduled project.
However, the United Way recognizes that scheduling conflicts can develop, necessitating the
canceling of an event. In these instances, the United Way requests that you contact us and the
agency as soon as possible to cancel the project. The United Way would be happy to help you
reschedule your project to a more conducive date.
Again, with just a little planning and forethought, your company can have a meaningful, successful
Days of Caring experience. Questions? Please call Rick Skinner, Vice President of the United Way’s
Volunteer Center at (314) 539-4284. Good luck!
United Way of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Volunteer Center
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