Saturday
Sep252010
Changing the World, One Mother at a Time
Saturday, September 25, 2010
This past week the UN Week Digital Media Lounge, which took place in association with the Mashable Social Good Summit, hosted a series of discussions and panels with bloggers on its Millenium Development Goals, covering issues like poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDs, women’s health, and climate change.
One of the discussions looked specifically at the role of mothers in changing the world through online advocacy work. This discussion, called "Changing the World, One Mother at a Time" was moderated by Chrysula Winegar from Work Life Balance with panelists Kristina Daniele from Moms of Hue and Emily McKhann from The Motherhood.
You can watch the full hour long conversation here:
The panel discussion has great information and advice for organizations or charities that are looking to harness the power of social media to connect with moms and with the world to do good. One particular piece of advice to charitable organizations that I thought was really useful was asking moms to share their stories. If you are blogging for a particular cause, whether it is poverty, cancer, postpartum depression, support for kids with disabilities, or anything else, find moms who have stories that they are willing to share that will help people to relate to and connect to your cause.
The discussion is full of examples of some of the great work that moms are doing online. It included discussion of work being done by amazing women like Katherine Stone from Postpartum Progress and great organizations like MomsRising to name just two of the many, many examples they raised. At around minute 51 of the video Chrysula brings up some of my activist work and the panel discusses it for a few minutes. I would agree with Kristina, who said that a "no" campaign is probably, in a lot of cases, less effective than a "do something" campaign in terms of rallying the masses. I think it makes it seem more achievable for people to get involved and make a difference. Not everyone is ready to boycott, but a lot of people may be willing to move the ruler forward a bit and a lot of small changes can make a big difference.
I do believe that there is a lot of opportunity for moms to work with charities in order to make a real difference. Where I struggle is that many charities, not-for-profit organizations and international development organizations work with companies whose products or business practices range from undesirable to unethical. There are some campaigns I have chosen not to support, even though their message was great, because they had a large corporate sponsor that I did not feel I could be associated with (and no, this isn't always just breast milk substitute companies). There are other organizations that I am involved with that have some partners that I am uncomfortable with and that are making me reconsider my future with those organizations. I wish there were easier solutions for how we can do more good and spread the message further without having to accept handouts from companies that are in many cases contributing to the very things these amazing causes are fighting against.
What do you think? How can moms and charities make a difference without getting too cozy with companies whose products or business practices are doing damage?
One of the discussions looked specifically at the role of mothers in changing the world through online advocacy work. This discussion, called "Changing the World, One Mother at a Time" was moderated by Chrysula Winegar from Work Life Balance with panelists Kristina Daniele from Moms of Hue and Emily McKhann from The Motherhood.
You can watch the full hour long conversation here:
Watch live streaming video from mashable at livestream.com
The panel discussion has great information and advice for organizations or charities that are looking to harness the power of social media to connect with moms and with the world to do good. One particular piece of advice to charitable organizations that I thought was really useful was asking moms to share their stories. If you are blogging for a particular cause, whether it is poverty, cancer, postpartum depression, support for kids with disabilities, or anything else, find moms who have stories that they are willing to share that will help people to relate to and connect to your cause.
The discussion is full of examples of some of the great work that moms are doing online. It included discussion of work being done by amazing women like Katherine Stone from Postpartum Progress and great organizations like MomsRising to name just two of the many, many examples they raised. At around minute 51 of the video Chrysula brings up some of my activist work and the panel discusses it for a few minutes. I would agree with Kristina, who said that a "no" campaign is probably, in a lot of cases, less effective than a "do something" campaign in terms of rallying the masses. I think it makes it seem more achievable for people to get involved and make a difference. Not everyone is ready to boycott, but a lot of people may be willing to move the ruler forward a bit and a lot of small changes can make a big difference.
I do believe that there is a lot of opportunity for moms to work with charities in order to make a real difference. Where I struggle is that many charities, not-for-profit organizations and international development organizations work with companies whose products or business practices range from undesirable to unethical. There are some campaigns I have chosen not to support, even though their message was great, because they had a large corporate sponsor that I did not feel I could be associated with (and no, this isn't always just breast milk substitute companies). There are other organizations that I am involved with that have some partners that I am uncomfortable with and that are making me reconsider my future with those organizations. I wish there were easier solutions for how we can do more good and spread the message further without having to accept handouts from companies that are in many cases contributing to the very things these amazing causes are fighting against.
What do you think? How can moms and charities make a difference without getting too cozy with companies whose products or business practices are doing damage?
Reader Comments (12)
That's a question I wrestle with a lot and I think the answer is always going be a very contingent one. Every time I support or give money to something I have to run through a kind of political/ethical "carbon offset" calculation that begins right at the point of "I don't agree with my government - do I continue to pay taxes?" In my case, I do actually pay tax - the calculation is that I live in a (less than perfect, admittedly) democracy and I get to vote and protest in other ways. I choose to avoid Nestlé because it seems the most effective way to protest in this instance. I joined the labour party, despite everything, because engaging seemed better than disengaging.
And so on. But I think this kind of calculus is impossible to fix down in a consistent formula. I don't rule out that there will be causes I'll support where even Nestlé might be involved. It'll all come down to the ethical "carbon offset".
Annie,
This is a topic and a philosophical question that top of mind here at Forty Weeks on a regular basis. We have spent years directing our clients to find balanced, appropriate partnerships and yes that does mean ALL partners. It is critical that the triangulation between bloggers (influencers really) brands and the bigger picture net out an appropriate gain for all parties. For us this means carefully vetted relationships and engagements based on positive outcomes. This also means treating all parties as brands and clearly identifying objectives and tactics. The question of “do you know the company you keep” is an important one. And a step we never overlook.
For me, the first and key priority is assuring that the brands that benefit from profitable relationships with mothers include initiatives focused on the critically in need, at-risk populations in their plans. I consider this to be non-negotiable (ask my clients!!!) This means for example, assuring that a nursing bra manufacturer client not only donate nursing bras to powerful organizations like the What to Expect Foundation and Baby Buggy but also find ways to support the women who receive the product. My client works with the benefiting organizations to assure that those who are in need of product and services (money too but this is not my primary focus) receive them. In New York, we partner with the Visiting Nursing association creating in home, nursing support for women both pre and postnatally. Women receive bras, information and the mentorship they need and deserve. It is imperative that ALL communities building support for new mothers are bolstered and encouraged so they too might have a positive, successful and again, supported nursing experience. And that these initiatives (and success stories) be promoted via influencers (on-line, on-air, etc.). So to me – this is an ideal triangulation.
And this is just one example. The bottom line: all of us should be working with our brands (be it a blogging, manufacturing or non-for-profit brand) to assure that our partnerships are on message, effective and well exectued across the board.
Julia:
I think that is an excellent approach and an important step. I commend you for that.
My concern is more so with non-profit organizations that are seeking to send an important message - e.g. spend more time outside with your kids, ensure kids get healthy lunches, reduce the chemicals our kids are exposed to, etc. are not then being sponsored by companies that do the exact opposite - .e.g selling junk food (especially when promoted as a healthy for families), selling chemical laden products, and so on. It is the subtle and not-so-subtle conflicts of interest that make me bang my head against the wall.
Annie,
Exactly - and this is where all three parties in any marketing triangulation have a level of responsibility. And why those of us with integrity and passion need bang other people’s heads against the wall and not ours…ours our needed for good, high-level and strategic thinking!!! Have a great day….
PS -- thank you for your kind words!
Thank you for highlighting a significant problem in the world of online (and all other kinds, really) advocacy. To get our messages out, we need more than good intentions and passion--we need money. I'm an activist in my state chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and to maintain our independence we take neither corporate nor foundation money. We are pure of heart, but we are flat broke, and we find our political influence shrinking as a result. If your readers have any Grand Ideas about how to fix this problem, I want to read them!
Thank you for adding these critical questions on the intersection between non-profits, mother advocacy and funding. You took this to exactly the next place it needed to go. It all comes back to the influencers and non-profits they are in partnership with, doing their due diligence. I wish every blogger/organization collaboration went through such a thoughtful and circumspect approach. It is certainly counsel I will be taking deeply to heart as I hone in on the causes and issues I want to highlight on my blog. Gratitude for sharing the discussion as well. It was an honor to share the incredible work of just a few in our community with the international development world. Congratulations on all you do.
i'm not sure if changing the world, one mother at a time is the best approach. certainly women are behind the scenes and invisibly powerful when it comes to influencing those around them (i'm thinking of Raj Patel's words in the Value of Nothing re: women contributing most to the unpaid volunteer market, and being able to stretch money, resources the furthest when directly funded). but attitudes to women and women's work need to change from outside the sphere of women. and in this case i'm think women = mother = parenting = home/domestic
as for avoiding conflicting businesses - well, big business got that way by jumping lucratively onto band wagons. it's going to be hard to avoid some tainting, but in this case maybe change can come from within.
ok i sound jaded but i think have at least 10y more perspective on watching the world go by at a same old, same old
This is such an interesting post. I am the ED of a small (but powerful) non-profit whose growth has 100% been related to moms reaching out. We were started long before online social networking but our board has always been primarily amazing mothers who have left the corporate work force to raise their children.
The entire basis of how we raise money and who our demographic is relys on mothers talking to other mothers.
Being in the Bay Area, we are incredibly aware of who our partnering organizations are. Many of our sponsors are parents/spouses of board members which still makes us feel very homey and grass roots.
This really has given me some professional things to ponder as far as some new outreach and marketing.
I agree, it's difficult. As a blogger who supports the Food Revolution ideals, I work hard at empowering other Moms to make small steps to take back their kitchens. I have been pitched products and asked to participate in marketing campaigns that promote processed or junk food. My motto is that if my family won't eat it, and I won't buy it, I will not endorse it.
Now balance is also important, so that doesn't mean you'll never see me eating a chocolate bar (snickers. Today. Yum!) And you might see me promoting them to be used in baking, along with a good recipe. But I'd never promote the mini ones to pop into kid's lunches. It really is something one has to be careful about.
Scatteredmom:
I find it generally fairly easy to decide which product pitches to respond to and which ones to put into the trash. What I find more challenging is the triangulation issue. For example, if you got a great pitch from a Food Bank that was trying to increase the amount of fresh food that it distributes, but the Food Bank's campaign was being sponsored by Pop Tarts or Kraft Dinner or Snickers, is that something you feel that you could be involved with?
Thank you so much for the kind shout-out Annie!
I’d have to see eye to eye with you here. Which is not something I usually do! I love reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to speak my mind!