How can small organisations support each other in campaigning?
What challenges do you face campaigning in a small organisation? And how can we be better at pooling resources across small organisations?
Here are some ideas from a discussion between members of the Forum for Change (special thanks to Amy Hailwood, Hannah Smith and Abigail Hunt for all their input!)
Things that do your head in about campaigning in a small charity
- Working on your own - no-one to brainstorm with
- Not being expert yet having to take a lead in your organisation
- How to use money/resources efficiently
- Small organisations may not have campaigning built into the infrastructure well
- How do we exploit our small organisation's freedom to be fleet of foot?
- Don't have the resource to follow up creative ideas consistently
- Campaigning is only part of your role
- Feeling demotivated and overwhelmed by knowing best practice standards set by big charities but being unable to meet them
- How do you exploit the benefits of working in coalitions without losing your voice?
Developing ideas for peer support
- A day shadowing or buddying a campaigns team in a larger organisation
- Some kind of pooled system for sharing problems and getting peers to suggest solutions - everyone would need to benefit reasonably equally for it to work (face to face? online?)
- Top problems identified could be a case study in a workshop setting
- Small charity campaigners monthly discussion group - topics agreed in advance
- Share info about free tools using this forum - here is a great tip from Hannah - www.pickanews.com
- For those working solo on campaigns in small orgs who aren't super experienced - one-off analysis from an experienced campaigner to identify initial areas to focus on that aren't too high risk, so you can build your confidence without putting the entire organisation's reputation at risk!
Is there anything else you would add to these lists?
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This would be useful for the small organisation I volunteer for. Many small groups do struggle to make their voice heard, mainly because they spend so much time 'delivering a service' but not enough on campaigns.
in addition to the perenial problem of lack of resources to sustain a campaign initiative. A while back, Oliver Letwin, the Conservative MP and one of David Cameron's 'inner circle', criticised charities for spending too much time on campaigns. If he is saying this (presumable on behalf of the government), what chance do small groups have?
Hi
It's rather a shame that we have not heard from small groups on this forum, on how they find campaigning in the current climate. Is it because campaigning is not a prioriy for them, as much as providing a service? Is it resource-intensive? I do know that it is difficult for small groups, especially volunteer-led and equality groups, to secure grants for a campaigning initiative, perhaps because funders do not want to risk their reputations!
It is really important that small groups find their voice, especially in the current climate where those who shout the loudest (and it will be the 'usual suspects' i.e. large, well-resourced organisations) will be heard.
Community Matters has developed a free campaign pack to help identify goals and audiences as well as plan an efficient, effective campaign. It covers all stages of the campaign process
www.communitymatters.org.uk/resources_details.aspx?ResourceID=1
I know it is a shame Ade, Im guessing it's a resources issue even at a largeish org there never seems to be enough time in the day to do everything.
I'm going to contact a few people that were involved in the forum for change discussion group for small organisations and see if they want to come join us here.
Thanks Amelia. I should say my interest here is with my 'volunteer/trustee for a small organisation' hat on. However, you are right that even large orgs are having difficulty because of resource. Here at Shelter, we are working hard at local campaigning, but with limited resources, as budgets have to be managed really tightly due to the CSR and the ensuing spending cuts affecting some of our key services at local level
This looks good. Simple and straightforward! Thanks