A new approach to supporter engagement

Environmental and other charities are not gaining the change in behaviour from the public that they need, and the time has come for a change in our approach to how we communicate with the public.

The ChangeStar article in this link argues that we need to take a ‘whole person’ approach to seeking change and influencing the public on these issues. We need to recognise that caring about the environment is just one aspect of an individual’s worldviews and motivations – both within their ethical values and more broadly within their lives. To motivate people on issues such as climate change and protecting the environment we therefore not only need to tackle these issues themselves, but also offer a vision of a more just and sustainable world generally, including one in which everyone has better lives and greater well-being. We also need to empower people to understand the world better, become more effective at identifying and living their values and enable people to live happier and more self-determined lives.

In summary - we need a radical re-think in our supporter communication strategies to achieve this, and the article provides some initial ideas as to how charities could do this.