Engaging the community with an unpopular cause

Study it for a few weeks and see what stories they publish and where.

Do stories get front page coverage or do they end up as a snippet in the gutter.

Human interest stories are always popular in papers.

Put together well-written news releases in Word, double spaced in Arial 12 to make it as easy as possible for the journalist to cut and paste.

Phone the local journalist or the editor. Ask to meet them. Get them along to an event. Good photo opportunities are worthwhile but take your own good quality digital photos as papers tend not to have their own staff photographers any more.

Then when you have had a few pieces published get on to the editor of your local BBC radio station.....

That way you are building a foundation of local awareness to work on.

If you want any more guidance drop me a line.

When I was Chairman of my local Chamber of Commerce I could virtually decide when I wanted to appear on the front page of my local paper. They even used to ring me for comments on other stories!!

Just takes a little effort.

Keith Grinsted
07841 312711
kgrinsted@premiercontact.co.uk
Premier Contact Ltd
...making your voice heard!

www.premiercontact.co.uk

can you demonstrate any benefits for the local community? for example volunteering opportunities with accredited training and qualifications?. Reusing buildings and once derelict facilities to enhance the environment and contribute to improving the area?
perhaps targetting youth volunteering locally might help, or working with the local school?.

Echoing Howard's comment, after 30-ish years in the field, I've met very few fundraisers for "popular" charities!

My stock answer is to look at what it is that gets you and your colleagues out of bed on a monday morning. Are you really unique? If not, you need to find others with similar enthusiasms and engage them : you can waste an awful lot of money trying to communicate the needs of your organisation to people who have no interest - in your case, you need to be speaking to the Animal lobby.

Cheers

Gerry

Gerry Beldon FInstF
Director, 26-01 CIC
www.26-01.co.uk

Hmmm...based on recent news reports, a hostel housing sex offenders in a residential area would be pretty unpopular. With a home for unemployed bank executives being next. :)

If you can give us some idea of what the project is, maybe we'll know what can work or not work.
Some causes are vastly more popular than others, some trigger the NIMBY reflex (not in my back yard).
And some create their own problems that didn't exist before.

Sorry to turn the question back to you, Wendy, but what you have tried already? Anything that should reasonably have worked?

My first thought is thinking sideaways about this one:

* are there elements within the local community that might be receptive, even if the majority isn't?

* do you have any local champions/supporters within the community that can do some of the building of trust/reputation for you?

* would local press coverage get you started?

* are local businesses or organisations a better bet than individuals?

If your cause is providing a service there must be some people locally who value it.

I can imagine quite a few 'unpopular' causes, but almost all charities claim that their cause is not popular.

If the local community can truly not get engaged, then you might have to think further afield - neighbouring areas, diaspora, or simply admit that public fundraising is not a likely option.

That said at some point, might funders (government, grant-making trusts, individuals) want to see evidence of support for a project locally?