Home | Health | Yoga
Environmental advocacy is a remarkably diverse field. It involves both safeguarding the public from environmental hazards and shielding the resources of nature. As successes have been secured at the local, state and federal level, there is a growing awareness in the field that further successes will be contingent on inculcating the same professional capacities as private and government organizations that encapsulate best management practices. When it comes to successfully launching an environmental advocacy group you might find some good advice in the literature. Yet the ongoing actual management of such advocacy groups is another matter. Thus many environmental advocacy groups struggle to effectively manage. This article shares several insights from the field. Collaborate with other environmental advocacy groups The State of New York alone has over 400 environmental advocacy organizations listed by the Environmental Conservation Department of Environmental Conservation. And in the last few years, there has been increasing levels of collaboration between geographically diverse environmental advocacy groups. One driver of this trend has been reduced flight travel costs – a trend that may now be going the opposite direction with skyrocketing fuel costs. Another cause is the availability of free conference calling services like Rondee. All of these offerings work on the same underlying principle: they give you a PIN and a toll number to dial. If all users dial the same toll number and enter the same code, they are put into the call together. Involve academic professionals A frequent misconception is that academic curricula is too far removed from the realities of environmental politics to be significant. However, programs such as that offered by New England School of Law provide graduate level training in environmental advocacy as wells as organizing. Indeed, they train students for careers as advocates and grassroots organizers. Students at these programs are outstanding candidates to be recruited as volunteers or leaders for your group. Also consider seeking the participation of a faculty or staff member who can offer perspective and advice to your group. While students arrive and depart as the years pass by; faculty tend to remain. Stay well focused The most effective environmental groups are ones that stay clearly focused on their mission and do not allow members or leaders to get enmeshed in peripheral goals. Virtually all environmental advocacy groups operate under substantial time limitations. Focusing on three goals with total effort will generally yield superior results compared to going after nine goals at one third effort. Develop your network The most successful advocacy groups create networks of supporters who share their values and mission. While the word networking frequently gets a negative reputation, the simple fact is these networks can provide substantial assistance and members can keep in touch more easily through conference calling technology. Indeed, these networks provide the psychological support which is so vital to sustaining enthusiasm amongst group officers and members. Use technology strategically Some environmental advocacy groups have distributed leadership teams, and it is difficult to expect in person meetings. One solution is to use an application for desktop sharing. Whether it's sharing a PowerPoint document showing the group's fundraising plan or a spreadsheet showing the tracking of performance, desktop sharing can be extremely useful for many advocacy groups. The silver lining in all this is that these ideas are not expensive. Environmental advocacy groups can improve their performance through these suggestions.
By: Scott Bailey
Scott Baily resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. Baily is an advisor to the free conference calling service launched by Rondee. He has written opinion pieces on telecommunications technology pertaining to the environmental advocacy sector
Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
Powered by Article Dashboard
