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by Debra Allcock Tyler, Chief Executive, Directory of Social Change
The government has just announced a £750k fund to support innovative campaigning [external website].
This has been largely welcomed by the voluntary sector, but has also sparked the usual debates about the role of charities in campaigning, and has been criticised as a token gesture by the Conservatives.
My view? It is akin to solving the problem of your car engine rattling by turning the radio up, and here’s why. Campaigning is about accessing and influencing decision makers. For a significant part of the sector, that is government – but not for all of us.
Where influencing government policy is the objective there is a massive rich-poor divide, between those huge charities employing professional PR and PA teams to lobby ministers, and those struggling to communicate their needs to their local MP at the bottom of the political food-chain.
Lobbying successfully and consistently is difficult, and hugely expensive, therefore it is an option for the few. The distinction between this professional lobbying and grassroots campaigning is one that is rarely drawn in political discussions about campaigning, but is at the heart of the differing perspectives held by Labour and the Conservatives.
However, to draw the conclusion that a lack of innovation or funding is the problem is specious – the real problem is a lack of access.
Further, the fund intends to support 30 organisations over two years. £12,500 each. On reflection, it’s just as well money isn’t the problem.
If government wants to support campaigning, enable more organisations to speak out, and be heard, then there are much more effective actions they could take that would improve communication.
- Adopt and actually use existing guidance [external website] and the Compact [external website] to improve formal consultation and give voluntary sector organisations renewed confidence that their views are important and can make a difference.
- For every membership or umbrella organisation spoken to, speak with at least five of their members separately to improve the depth and range of feedback and intelligence they receive.
- Enhance the status of voluntary sector liaison officers that exist in almost all statutory bodies – publishing a full up-to-date list of them would make them more visible to voluntary sector organisations, and should be accompanied by ensuring their involvement in key internal decision making processes. This would make them an open channel between voluntary sector organisations and every statutory body.
Research carried out by DSC and NCVO in support of DSC’s Great Giving campaign showed that there is considerable funding available to voluntary sector organisations from grant-making trusts, but that it is rarely clearly signposted, making it difficult to access for many organisations.
However this fund is managed, I don’t think it is right for the government to fund campaigning, especially when so much could be done to enable so many organisations without spending a penny.
Do you have any thoughts on how government could or should support the voluntary sector to campaign? Why not submit a piece for our Soapbox - email the editor.