Individuals would need to live under a rock to avoid the obvious – the world is changing and not all the changes are for the better. Severe weather, famine, drought, flooding, war, disease, the rainforest is burning, species are disappearing, it is enough to make you want to put your head in the sand. However, the world’s problems are not going to go away. In fact, economists, scientists, environmentalists, and futurists, all predict things are only going to get worse. Now is the time to get involved. Start with your community and you can make an incredible impact that will ripple all the way to the top levels of government or big business.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Why form a group?
A community group can come together to address a specific concern as an ad hoc group, such as stop engine idling at schools, or community groups can form to address larger more systemic problems, like Farmers Against Genetically Modified Crops or Neighbors For Urban Sustainability, etc. The causes are numerous and each group will be part of the larger catalyst for important change.
We here at Greenmuze.com have formed the odd community group or two over the years. We have found the simplest way to succeed is to follow the below mentioned steps from start-up to victory.
Establish your group
If you are promoting a cause, the first step is to find a name for your group. Try to choose something interesting and informative, i.e. Farmers Against Urban Encroachment will have a much better chance of being remembered than say, Southwestern Small Community Farmers Who Believe Urban Encroachment Is Very Bad For Farmlands And The Environment.
Establish a contact e-mail address, telephone number and a website. A simple website can be very effective as a centralized location where you can include info about your group, updates , and info about how people can get involved.
Even though the power of one is an amazing thing, it is usually easier to persuade individuals to listen to you if you appear to be more than just one lone wolf. Even if you are only a small group of people to begin with, it is still better to give the appearance of being a larger, organized group. The more people that appear to be involved with something, the easier it is to shift public perception and/or implement real change.
*Always include the name of your group, telephone number, e-mail address and website on all correspondence, posters and press releases.
Find a spokesperson
Find someone who can operate as the liaison with the media and/or community – this will be the public face of your campaign/event. This person needs to be accessible, articulate and charismatic (if possible) and understand the importance of returning calls and following up requests for interviews. The more accessible you are, the more success you will have in promoting your event or cause. Most members of the media are working on deadlines so calls/requests from the media should be answered within 2-4 hours.
Find an organizer
The organizer is different from the spokesperson in that they don’t necessarily talk with the media, but they will operate behind the scenes as the organizer of the campaign. One or several individuals can accomplish this job, but it is important that someone act as the anchor. Possible duties for the organizer might include writing press releases, organizing poster distribution, collecting e-mail addresses of interested individuals and important contacts, sending out updates to your supporters, connecting with other like minded groups, organizing petitions, etc.
It is important to have the media on your side when promoting a cause or an event. Calls/requests from the media should be answered within 2-4 hours.
E-mail lists
Try to always ask supportive and interested individuals for their contact addresses; usually name, telephone number and e-mail address. That way it is easy to get in touch with individuals when you want to send out an update or ask people to attend a meeting, etc. It can be helpful to send out updates biweekly or monthly to keep people informed about campaign progress.
Press releases
Although many of us are private individuals and don’t want a lot of attention, it is important to have the media on your side when promoting a cause or an event. A well-written press release operates as an enticement to encourage the media to cover your cause/campaign. The press release should include all the pertinent information (who, what, where, why, when), a quote or two from your spokesperson and contact information for your spokesperson and/or the contact information for your organization. Sometimes it can be useful to indicate if there will be photo opportunities – this can often act as a further enticement to the media. *To view sample press releases visit our Press Release section.
Postering
Posters are often underestimated and/or left to the last minute in promoting events or campaigns, even though well placed attractive posters can garner considerable attention. Be sure to include all the important information on your poster: what, where, when and why. Always include your contact information as well.
Letters to the editor
A well-written letter to the editor can stir up a lot of discussion and/or support for an event or campaign. Organize your group members and supporters to rotate letter writing to the newspapers. A letter to the editor should appear in the community newspapers and the daily newspapers close to an event or in response to an article. Try to always have a minimum of two supportive letters for each item in the paper. It might mean encouraging your Mom, Dad, Grandmother to write in, but public perception is important in advancing a cause/campaign.
Letters to the editor should be clear, concise and include your name, address and contact telephone number. This personal information will not be printed, but is required for verification.
Op-Ed pieces
Many newspapers publish well-written Opinion Editorials (Op-Eds) from community members. Op-Eds or Guest Columns are an excellent way to let the community know exactly what your position is and what the main issues are for your campaign/event. Op-Eds are good for generating public discussion and debate.
Public service announcements
Many local media outlets offer the opportunity to place free announcements of events in their community calendars (print and TV media) and as public service announcements (radio).
Write a short version of your press release including what, where, when and why and a contact telephone number, e-mail or website address. This can be sent to all the media organizations via fax or e-mail. Be sure to indicate somewhere on your fax or e-mail the information is for a community calendar item and/or public service announcement.
Leaflets
Handing out leaflets can be a very good way to attract more interest to your group or event. Be sure to include the most important information and always include your group's contact information. Leaflets can be placed in supportive businesses and restaurants, delivered door-to-door or they can be handed out to individuals in any busy location.
*Try to print all your materials on recycled paper, no sense promoting one cause while destroying the environment.
Petitions
Petitions are useful as they allow people to be supportive without having to make a large commitment. Petitions are also helpful in that they can demonstrate to politicians (and/or whoever else needs to know) there are a lot of people concerned/involved in the issue/cause. Petitions can be circulated door-to-door or left in supportive establishments. Keep wording simple.
We have dressed up as trees, made giant art canvases covered in climate change solutions, worn Halloween costumes made from recycling, put anti-consumer billboards on the highway and once we even made a giant flying vagina to talk about violence against women.
Protest
Sometimes our politicians (or developers or big business) are simply not listening and we have to take more bold steps. Organizing a protest is a good way to grab the attention of the community, media and local politicians. Always organize as many people as possible to attend the events to ensure the protest/demonstration looks well attended. Make it bright, loud and memorable. Remember to give the media the heads up on what you are doing.
Art & activism
Our experience as activists has led us to believe that you can always accomplish more if you combine art with activism. Our GreenMuze.com staff have dressed up as trees, soft plastic recycling superheroes, made giant art canvases covered in climate change solutions, created tree puppets, worn Halloween costumes made from recycling, created 3-D displays on habitat, ocean health, tree protection, put anti-consumer billboards on the highway and once we even made a giant flying vagina to talk about violence against women. Each time we fused art and activism we were able to encourage many more people to engage with the campaigns.
Art & activism is also a great way to get kids involved with a campaign or teach children about the issue you are promoting. Kids love hands on stuff that is fun, solution-based and not too preachy (Frankly, so do most adults).
Politicians
Contrary to what most people believe, politicians (even though they might not be that interested in what you are doing initially) will respond favorably if you demonstrate enough people are interested.
Encourage your supporters to write letters to politicians. Be sure to send them a copy of all petitions as well. Sometimes it can be helpful to draft a sample letter so individuals have a guide to follow that includes the pertinent information. Always provide your supporters with the mailing address, fax number and/or e-mail address of where you want them to direct their letters.
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