The Idea of Doing Good is Popular — Truly Acting for Good Is Another Thing

Derrick Feldmann • May 02, 2016
The idea of doing something good in the community is a popular notion. Research tells us that the attitude towards giving, serving and using one’s talents to help others is a noble and desired idea. This idea goes back to the roots of the nonprofit and social sector and is embedded in the ethos of every individual because of the empathy we have to help one another.

Couple that preference to do good with new technology tools to feed on that impulse to act for others, and it seems like a perfect storm of taking our interests to action for causes. If we have made it easier to act, and we have a population inclined to do something good for others, then why do we struggle today to activate an audience and sustain them for longer interest in an issue?

It comes down to whether your organization wants to play into the impulse of an individual wanting to do good, or if it wants to focus on the individual’s need to express their attitude towards an issue. These are two different approaches that are often combined by organizations wanting awareness for the cause’s brand rather than individual movement builders for the issue they represent.

Effective movements start when leaders of causes focus on the individual’s expression and not a transaction. Expressing one’s self is an opportunity to internalize why an individual cares, deepening their interest. From storytelling to sharing with peers, the act of expressing one’s self beyond simple “likes” is necessary to move interest into belief.

Acting with like-minded people and joining together is imperative to the issue and the group. When an individual sees others that share common beliefs, they begin to act as well. Creating self-organizing activities such as small group issue sessions, lunch and learns, grassroots organizing activities like canvassing and more renew the issue within that person.

Measure actions and move the individual from a trivial act to one with deeper meaning. Most causes lack a constituent engagement program for the people and organizations interested in their cause. Interest is shown, contact information is collected, and solicitations for support go out. Instead, help the individual learn and grow with the issue. Small acts over time renew the interests and help the individual move beyond superficial cause engagement to deeper cause engagement with others.

If you are an organization that suffers from moving interest to action, experiment with the tips above to motivate your following to go above and beyond for the issue you represent.

Want to learn more about how you can move your audience from interest to action? Send us a note using the form below and let’s take the next step in your journey together.

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