Campaign message 6: Get involved
Campaign ingredients:
- It invites people to become ‘active citizens’ and do something in their communities.
- Usually involves a national ask to all people to volunteer wherever they are.
- The campaign usually isn't connected to a specific charity or volunteer opportunity.
- General "get involved" campaigns are also frequently used by local volunteer centres.
- It often involves an ask to people to "spare a few hours" or "give up some time" to "make a difference".
Benefits:
- A general message doesn’t exclude any groups or potential recruits.
- It can increase awareness in volunteering far and wide.
- It raises the profile of volunteering as an activity.
Downside:
- The "ask" can be so general that it doesn’t appeal to anyone.
- It can be too cryptic. It doesn’t explain what opportunities there are for volunteers or what volunteering is.
- It doesn't give people a concrete reason to volunteer or offer them a specific volunteering activity.
- It relies on people being motivated to volunteer for anything because “they should”.
- By focusing on "giving up time", the campaign can highlight one of the main perceived barriers to volunteering (i.e. people feel they are too busy to volunteer).
Examples:
- Billion Minutes: "There's no present like the time"
- VSO: “All we ask for is 87 minutes”
- TimeBank: " Match your time and passions to the needs of your local community"
- Oxfam: "Do what you love doing"
- Junction49: "Shared ideas. Collective action"
Go to the next section... Media strategies
