Do you remember the guy who was waiting in reception at the BBC (for a job interview or to deliver something, I forget what) and he gets taken into a studio and plonked on air as an expert on something which he knew nothing about? Embarrassing or what?
Now that guy had a real excuse for being tongue-tied! What’s your excuse?
Great minds
The charitable sector is a massive industry with some of the best minds and managers in the country, but we don’t hear a lot from them. Ok, yes, if there is an item on a specific social problem, we may get a comment on the news. But in terms of just being part of the warp and weft of our society, do we hear their views on things? Not enough, I believe. The Question Times of this world are far too dominated by politicians and businesspeople (or even actors and comedians) for our own good.
The charity sector seems to have got caught up in the concerns about campaigning, politics and legitimacy and the suggestions that we should stick to our knitting. Of all the legitimate actors in society, it is most important that we hear from those people who are values-driven.
Party politics
Let’s deal with the issue about campaigning and getting political. When a staff member speaks on behalf of a charity in support of a campaign which furthers their mission, then yes, they need to be careful and not speak (or appear to speak) in support of a specific political party. But if they speak out in favour of particular policies or actions which they believe will improve the lot of their beneficiaries or achieve their mission, that is legitimate (even though it is actually also political). That is the case even if the policies coincide with the policies of a particular political party.
Charities are campaigning on behalf of their beneficiaries or cause, not on behalf of any other organisation including political parties or elected public officials. Charities or other social justice organisations are often the experts in what are appropriate policies for achieving their specialist social objectives. If political parties see this and decide to adopt those policies as part of their aims or manifestos, that is a matter for them. Charities may even try to persuade them to do that, but it is the charity which is making the running – not the other way round. It is a political act, but it is not party-political.
Campaigning has been, and continues to be, a very important part of charities being able to meet their charitable objectives.
Playing the long game
But there is also a long game to be played. Campaigning is the upfront, in-your-face bit of achieving your mission, but enabling people to get on board with the values which inspire your activities is vital too. If people believe in your values, they are much more likely to support your activities.
How do people know what your values are? They are probably written down somewhere; people may read them on your website. But they are much more likely to come up against your values through the way in which they have experienced your actions. If your values include transparency say, did they find your actions transparent over the mistake you made in logging their donation? Do they feel the article you wrote treats your clients with respect? Actions speak louder than words.
But words still count and you may need the words before you can demonstrate your actions. People can be inspired to support your cause by hearing you speaking out on matters which show your values in practice.
If you are asked to go on a panel (it doesn’t have to be Question Time; for some of us it might only be the town hall or even village hall) but you know that most of the questions are unlikely to be about your subject of interest, should you go? Too right you should! If you are a staff member of a charity then that is a position of trust and respect that you have been given (hopefully) because people feel you manifest the values of that organisation. Who better to express a view on any topic? Go out there and speak the values of your organisation into the situation you are asked about. Give an answer that demonstrates transparency, respect or whatever, and prove those values in a different context. If you don’t know how to respond, you can always say “I don’t feel equipped to answer that”.
If only more people did that! So go on, speak up and speak out. Your country needs to hear from the values-driven contributors as well as from business and politics.
Graham Young is a trustee at Practical Action and at Millennium Green Trust
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