Not-for-profits, it’s time to get noticed

“But this is not what we’re funded to do”

I don’t care. Do not leave this for others – and that includes your peak bodies and industry associations. Too often they are unwilling or unable to challenge government despite the fact that their ability to campaign, coordinate and draw attention to issues is surely one of the justifications for their existence. Some can’t even outsource the skills required.

There’s nothing weird about campaigning – everybody does it. All the Big industries – pharma, gambling, military, agriculture, education, retail et al – never stop. Many of the key ethnic, religious and cultural groups do likewise (some better than others). All the key professional groups – so why not you?

But how might you follow my command? Well, there’s no better campaigning tool than media coverage, which remains your cheapest, fastest and most influential option.

Media coverage gets results

Hootville Communications has campaigned for clients about inclusions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, keeping an Apple superstore out of Melbourne’s Federation Square and the introduction of voluntary assisted dying legislation.

I’m currently creating media coverage on sexual assault services and the need for specialised, independent responses to school-based sexual assault, a broader range of therapies for victim-survivors, and better funding. Just about every issue – including yours – is newsworthy.

One of the joys of media coverage is that little players can appear big. Your capacity to generate media coverage is not dependent on having a large supporter base or budget – you just need some media savvy, email access and a telephone along with a large pinch of showbiz.

Why go public? Isn’t this all closed-door stuff?

Media monitoring services browse the media on behalf of their clients. The number one client of such services? Government. If you get coverage, they’ll know about it, and if it’s election time, they may even want to talk to you about it. This applies doubly for opposition parties.

Will our campaign and media coverage get them angry?

I recently (and skillfully) led a webinar for ICDA on how to get media coverage, and inevitably the question arose: “What if the government doesn’t like us getting media coverage? Might they punish us somehow?”

Well yes, it could, but if your campaign leads to punishment, the government was never really your friend in the first place, was it?

Without a profile, what’s more likely than punishment is that you’ll be easy to ignore and so too your issue. Media and campaigns lead to positive change more often than negative. How the hell do you think we’ve changed anything over the last few hundred years?

Pick your issue

Preferably find an issue that is simple to understand, has an impact on the public and seems like an obvious improvement. Ideally it won’t be simply asking for more money but something broader.

No matter what your campaign objective or tactics, be specific in your demands – name the people to be held to account, the changes you want, and how the change could be funded or made possible.

Showcase the people negatively affected by the status quo. That means finding, chaperoning and prepping the right individual who personifies your story. They will hold more power than you, the expert, though you too are important.

Go local

Try to break down a national or statewide story into additional stories with local angles for local media. You can dramatically increase your media hits this way. Example: the country needs 6000 foster carers nationally and you want government to make foster caring more appealing. Well, the national angle is the missing 6000 carers, but each state should have a target too, and each region. Suddenly local media are interested. Now compare how the state governments support or fail to support their foster carers. Suddenly you’ve got multiple local angles and political pressure on government to match the more generous states. (I’ve done this with foster carers and scored dozens of [very similar] local stories.)

Outside media coverage, what campaigning options are there?

Think carefully about asking your people to write to or phone their MPs. It’s hard to get people to take even these simple actions, and a lukewarm response will reveal the paucity of your support.

Demonstrations are even harder to coordinate unless you have an inbuilt audience such as a workforce or union.

People prefer low-effort contributions. Online petitions work well in this regard, and a large number of petitioners indicates support long after most ‘supporters’ have stopped paying attention.

If your campaign is local and relatively apolitical you have the option of posters – a low-tech, low-effort, non-perishable contribution your supporters can make.

Finally

It’s so tempting to play the small target, keep feathers unruffled and hope for the benevolence of our rulers. But what sort of life is that? Quiet voices are easy to ignore.

Quiet voices do, however, effectively send one clear message to your supporters and members. That message is: tough luck, nobody is sticking up for you. Donors, members and co want to see that someone is fighting for them. Be that fighter.

Brett de Hoedt is the Mayor of Hootville Communications. His latest vanity project is a series of public speaking videos.

If you want a campaign that plays to win talk to Brett care of www.hootville.com.au. Sign up to his sporadic newsletter the Hootville Lowdown here.