Community and events, Strategy and planning, Project management, Strategy, Campaigns

Introduction to Social Change and Campaigning

The Directory of Social Change are partnering with the Sheila McKechnie Foundation to offer the introduction to Social Change and Campaigning workshops.

From Extinction Rebellion to local campaigns to save a library, the power of protest and campaigning is rarely out of the news. But how does change really happen? And how can we develop the habits and behaviours needed to be effective change makers?

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) has spent the past 14 years working with everyone from grassroots activists to big charities, helping them to make change happen. And in the last 12 months, SMK has developed pioneering new tools to give campaigners the knowledge and skills they need.

New tools

Recognising the facts: At the heart of this approach is a recognition that making change happen is rarely – if ever – easy. The world around us is constantly changing. Tools and tactics evolve. Attitudes inside and outside our organisations change.

Starting with you: As someone new to campaigning or social change, this can leave you wondering where to start. At SMK, we start with you. We believe that you are powerful. That you have the power to change things.

Identifying others’ achievements: Together we will explore how other organisations and individuals have achieved change. What made them successful? And how can their experience inspire your own campaigns?

Understanding what to ask: We will examine the questions that you need to ask yourself as you start to plan your campaign. Looking at whether you’ve really thought about the problems that you’re tackling, the solution to those problems, and how to tap into the opportunities for change.

Telling your story: We’ll work through how to communicate your campaign. Considering how to frame your issue, the story that you want to tell, and the ways to get your message across.

Exploring effective changemakers: And finally, we’ll look at the characteristics of effective change makers. Recognising that we all face challenges when seeking to spark a change – and thinking about how we can overcome them.