Would you like to help a charity or good cause but are feeling the effects of the recession? The good news is that “donations” can be based on your time as well as your money which can often be an even more effective way to make a difference.
We can all do things in our everyday lives that help to change the world for the better such as making donations to charities or purchasing charity gifts. But why not think about investing time instead of your money in to a worthwhile cause, charity campaign or issue that is important to you?
The biggest and most significant changes can often happen when other people come on board too – particularly those who make policy decisions. However, even without the influence and backing of senior decision makers change can also be affected through reaching what is called “critical mass” or a “tipping point”. This is a sociodynamic term used to describe the effect of momentum on the growth or adoption of an idea. The theory works on the basis that once enough people buy in to an idea it then becomes a self fulfilling and self sustaining concept or the “bandwagon” effect. Marketers often talk of their goals being to reach critical mass and a good example is the Facebook phenomenon which continues to grow its user base by word of mouth.
A good campaign needs planning so you should think carefully about what you want to achieve, how you are going to do it and how long it should take.
Work out your goals
You need to work out exactly what you are trying to achieve – and be able to explain it simply – so that :
- Other people can sign up to your campaign
- You focus your energies
- You can work out what you need to do
- You know when you’ve done it!
Make a strong case
To have an impact on the people you want to influence, you must demonstrate why your issue or cause matters to them. You will need to gather evidence and get as much accurate information as possible to support your case.
Campaigning Tools
Choose a method that suits your cause and your audience :
- Letters and Emails – to decision makers, opinion formers or local newspapers explain and argue the case for your cause.
- Petitions – raise and demonstrate support
- Leaflets – help to present information about your cause and campaign in a simple and accessible way.
- Demonstrations – can be a great way to get publicity, as long as they are perceived positively
- Direct action – such as boycotting goods, has a direct impact on the situation, as well as getting publicity
- The media – newspapers, radio, television and particularly the internet due to its low barriers to entry – can all be used to reach a large audience and publicise and event, raise support, or share news of your successes.
How to achieve your aims
Working together The greatest resource of a campaign is the number of people prepared to take part. Therefore, try to –
- Build a team of people to help
- Build partnerships with other local or related groups, societies, businesses, supporters and so on
- Ensure that everyone involved is giving the same message.
- Learn how decisions are made – Find out who makes the decisions, and who influences them. Local
- politicians will study local newspapers. Businesses listen to their customers.
- Find out when decisions are made – for instance, when are your local elections or key company meetings.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Some problems may seem too huge for you to make any impact, but every problem has a local angle – even global issues can be tackled locally. If you are concerned about climate change, for example, you could start by looking at how much carbon dioxide your household, company or town produces – then challenge people to do something about it.
Putting the message across
Depending on your issue, you might need to reach decision makers, influencers and supporters. They could include :
- Your local authority,
- central government,
- trade unions,
- local businesses,
- global corporations,
- campaign groups,
- the media,
- your local community,
- local schools
- or even local celebrities.
How to write a campaign letter – step by step
- Try to find the name of a relevant and influential person.
- Introduce yourself
- Make your message brief and give a positive solution.
- Include some brief facts and background information.
- Always ask for an answer.
- Keep it short. If more information is needed, add background notes, such as references to relevant magazine articles, and so on.
- File it. Keep copies of all letters and responses.
Finally, good luck! Remember we can all make a difference and an investment in to a worthwhile cause need not necessarily be in terms of money – often your time is worth far more!
