Social Movements for Good

Let’s say you have a really great idea. Not just any great idea, but one that’s both revolutionary to your industry and has the potential to create broader positive change. How do you start? What do you do? How do you turn your idea into a social movement for good?

You probably come up with a name for your idea and put together a message, like a mission statement or a tagline. Then you start talking to your friends and family, who tell you to create a logo and a brand guide. You develop a website, create social-media accounts and a hashtag, and start telling other people about your great idea and how much good you’re going to do, if only they’ll join up with you.

But then your effort fizzles.

Why? Maybe your great idea wasn’t actually that great. Or maybe you simply needed to take a different approach to building the momentum that would propel your truly great idea into a long-term, effective social movement for good.

What is a social movement for good?

In its plainest form, a movement is a group of people working together for a common social, political, or cultural goal. Movements can focus on an injustice, an opportunity for change, or the promotion of a theory or concept. Whatever the focus, all movements require one key element to be transformed from an idea held by a few into an effort driven by many: people.

To become an effective social movement, a movement requires collective power beyond small-group organizing to build and sustain long-term change. Social movements for good take this process one step further in generating support for the benefit of an aggrieved group. So, while social movements in general strive to achieve policy or cultural change, social movements for good promote awareness and work to bring positive change on an issue or for an underserved population.

Social movements for good succeed when they provoke mass action that leads to tangible results and helps improve quality of life.

How does one person’s idea become a social movement for good?

Social movements for good begin with a leader or movement builder, and then require a substantial amount of human capital to generate interest and mobilize people who share common interests. Typically, such movements develop a starter audience or group of early adopters. This initial group, in turn, broadens awareness and inspires additional followers to join in fighting for an issue or helping the targeted population. From there, the group expands through the use of public tools, such as social media, that build mass awareness and drive participation in some action. This is a peak outcome of a movement and usually what generates interest among the general public.

Ideally, once the public’s interest is piqued, the movement maintains its strength and sustains support for additional action through awareness, messaging, and activities that detail the ever-growing success of the movement. This should lead to a cycle of steadily increasing interest and participation and long-term growth. Over time, a movement that achieves this will progress and become part of the long-term solutions to a problem.

What makes a good social-movement leader?

In my many discussions with the leaders and builders of today’s most successful social movements for good, I’ve noticed a number of qualities these leaders share. All of the effective leaders I’ve spoken with understand the importance of the following characteristics and actions:

Have a proposed outcome.

Before you start talking to and recruiting supporters, know where you’re going. Is your goal to provide clean water to those in need? If so, how are you going to get the water to them? To truly distinguish your cause as a social movement for good, outline a clear path to tangible results.

Be with the people.

Being a leader doesn’t mean sitting behind a desk; it’s important to be out among the people — both those who are working to create change and the beneficiaries of the movement. Make an effort to understand how your supporters want to generate awareness and create change, as well as what is actually needed to enact change in the population you’re trying to serve

Don’t rely solely on technology.

A hashtag doesn’t equal a social movement. Technology can help spur conversations in the digital sphere, but how does that actually make an impact on the ground? Find others whose interests align with yours by talking to them in person and building support before taking things online. Always view technology — including social media, a website, and digital ads — as a tool to enhance your offline presence rather than the only driver of your cause.

Connect via empathy.

As humans, we have an innate instinct to help others whose welfare may be at risk. Don’t just talk about your cause with others; help them connect by showing them the faces and telling them the stories behind the issue.

Build believers.

Fundraisers and organizations often think the most important thing they can do to expand their movement is to get people to join or “belong” to it, which typically means only those who are able to donate time or money. However, if you build a movement in this manner, the participants will not be personally tied to your cause. Today’s social activists, supporters, and donors want to be a part of causes they believe in. If you create opportunities for supporters to talk, share, and express their beliefs, they will be more likely to take tangible action.

Be authentic.

People can tell when movement builders are inauthentic. The successful development of a movement for good hinges on the leader’s ability to genuinely connect with the challenges people are going through. Authenticity is an essential foundation of social movements for good.

Remove yourself.

Your social movement for good isn’t about you. While it may have been your great idea, a movement becomes successful when the supporters feel directly connected to those they are helping.

Make it about others.

If your social movement for good is truly successful, there will likely be a point where your vision no longer really matters. What will matter are the various visions and actions of your movement’s followers. Movements are what you make of them, and those who come together for the success of a common purpose should be considered a win.

Whether you create a movement of 20 people in your neighborhood or of 20,000 people, the effect you have — no matter how big or how small — can change the world for the better. Social-movement building is an exciting opportunity for anyone who believes they can help bring people together for a common good. Leaders of social movements for good should unite people with common interests and then help them acquire the tools needed to create meaningful change.

To learn more, visit LeaderStories.org