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Advocacy for Charity

With the global economy in crisis and consumer confidence down, it’s no surprise that charities  and non-profits are concerned about their viability. I came across some sobering statistics…

• The Red Cross is suffering a 30% drop in responses and contributions from new donors, and corporate donations coming in at lower amounts.
• Catholic Charities USA reports that January-October 2008 contributions fell to $7.6 million, down 4% from the same period in 2007.
• The Meals on Wheels Association of America says roughly two-thirds of its members recently reported drops in both corporate and individual donations and some regional programs were forced to close down in 2008. 
• Just under half the 1,200 owner-managers polled by U.K. accountancy firm Tenon said that supporting their local community was important to their business, down from 71 per cent that said it was in 2007.

If they aren’t already, charitable organizations should be tapping into their advocates. Weber Shandwick’s global survey, the New Wave of Advocacy conducted with KRC Research, revealed compelling reasons why such organizations should harness the power of “issue or cause advocates.”

First, they are a small but influential segment – nearly 1 in 5 global adults (18%) say they have actively supported an issue or cause in the past two years but they in turn encourage 26 other people, on average, to join in their support. Aside from any financial support, they demonstrate their support by wearing something that displays their cause (27%), sending letters to a company or elected official regarding their cause (21%), and posting comments of support online (20%). Further, when they are given the opportunity to react to a request for support, they do so quickly: 47% take less than one day to act and most (88%) don’t need more than a few weeks to get engaged.

Not surprisingly, broadcast and print media do the most to shape an advocate’s opinion about an issue or cause, but appeals from friends, family and coworkers are by far the most effective for triggering support action. Which brings us to why it’s so critical, now more than ever, for charities, non-profits and philanthropies to engage in advocate-building. Take, for example, the March of Dimes which provides its supporters with a step-by-stop guide for recruiting others to walk and join their cause. A simple bullet-point set of tips demonstrates how basic an advocacy program can be.