Why Put an Activist Blog at the Centre of My Campaign?
More about blogs and blogging from CommonCraft.
In the UK today, raising money for charity has become a professional business. The morning mail is full of charity tickets to be sold. On the way to work, street corner “chuggers” solicit donations. Charitable flower sellers, pester people out in the evening.
Such tactics may raise money, but do little to gain support or develop an understanding of the issues involved.
A saturation point has been reached. Whatever the cause, unsolicited mail is still junk mail. Likewise, unwanted email is still spam.
Many have become disillusioned with main steam politics. The coming general election may well be notable for the lowest turn out in the UK since universal emancipation was enacted.
People are continually bombarded with requests for money and support. They are turning off. To overcome this, you need to engage them. You need to connect with people interested in your cause then take the time to build relationships with them.
If you build a community and develop a deeper understanding of the issues involved peolple will be willing to take action.
A blog is ideal for relationship building:
- By regularly posting quality, relevant content you build trust.
- By interacting with readers via the comments you build a community.
- By linking to, and commenting on, similar blogs you create a network.
- By persuading people to take action you create change.
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Apr 11th, 2010 at 19:49
I think that charity “burnout” is partly due to the short term achievements of most charities, their goals may take the “long view” but many improvements, for instance in the 3rd World, are for the main part short lived. The fact is that when so much aid is diverted to corrupt government and tribal (often warring) leaders, the West are turned off. It’s almost as if charities avoid even mentioning the politics behind many problem areas around the world in order to stay on the good side of corrupt governments. It seems like a lose-lose situation. I’d like to see charities venture more into micro banking, not for profit but to raise a contingency fund that will last forever. Giving a village a water pump is all very well, but backing their enterprise with hard cash means that in the long term charity isn’t even needed. They will be able to support themselves, forever.
Apr 13th, 2010 at 10:10
I agree, charity should be carfully used so as not to create undesisable outcomes.
Also some of the “expenses” charitable foundations have charged turn people off.