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Moss Stevenson posted an update 3 years, 1 month ago
A Social Change Agency is primarily based in Olympia, WA, and consists of an ever expanding network of local affiliates across the country. They are funded by individual foundations and corporations, along with several state and federal agencies, and are part of a network of nonprofits dedicated to social change. In addition to direct financial support, they engage in many forms of networking and community building. The Behavioral Sciences Exchange is an example of a social change agency. Other key players include the National Institute for Social Justice, New America Foundation, The Century Foundation, and the Center for Neighborhood Education.
As an organizer or media consultant, what do you think about a social change agency , and do you think they are helpful? Activists and organizers have very different thoughts about this question. Some think that a social change agency should be an extension of the activist movement, taking on many of the roles and providing similar types of services as radical groups like Black Lives Matter. Others think of this as a nonprofit consumer group concerned with issues in the public space, and some might even describe it as thought leadership.
Activists’ visions of a social change agent may include a trustworthy advisor who can speak on behalf of activists, provide strategy planning and training, and perhaps pick up the slack when people are too lazy or too busy to get organized. Activists see this professional as someone who has an understanding of the tactics of civil disobedience and understands that sometimes things need to get done without being disruptive. They probably see this same professional as someone knowledgeable about effective marketing and public relations. They may also think about this person as someone knowledgeable and skilled at connecting with the public.
Activists and organizers see a trusted advisor as someone who is not connected to any one group or movement, and as someone who can help them work towards common goals that will benefit everyone. Some think of this as being similar to a communications consultant. For nonprofits in the nonprofit world, it is important to keep in mind that the public relations and marketing aspects of many nonprofits are separate and distinct from the core function of the organization itself. A nonprofit’s development and growth depend on its capacity to speak to and to serve the needs of the public-and this is true for the professional who is hired to manage this part of the organization’s operations. It is this perspective that gives rise to a different set of considerations when hiring the best person for the job.
There are several approaches to hiring the right professional to handle public relations and marketing for nonprofits. In the case of larger nonprofits, there may well be several different professionals who are charged with the responsibility of managing various aspects of the organizations’ public-relations and marketing efforts. These professionals may be part of a larger staff that includes several nonprofits, or they might be part of a larger nonprofit organization with a dedicated resource department. It is up to the administrator to decide how much staff is needed, and what types of professional experience each individual has in relation to the particular issues facing the nonprofit he or she is expected to manage. Sometimes smaller nonprofits rely on volunteer public-relations experts, while some larger nonprofits seek to hire people with a strong professional background in PR and other forms of communications.
Some nonprofits choose to focus their staffing needs on consultants who have expertise in a specific area of the field. For instance, some nonprofits hire social change specialists to handle communications work, while others focus their needs on fundraising or technology issues. The type of career opportunities available to employees varies widely by organization, and there is a lot of overlap between these various career fields. As a social justice advocate, it is possible to have a job that involves working with funders, journalists, advocates, bloggers, policy makers, developers, tech staff, and more.
There are career opportunities for social change agency staff in all of these different areas, but the most highly sought after positions tend to involve working with a range of people from many different backgrounds. A PR specialist might work as a press secretary, a communications director, a fundraiser, and more. While the primary focus of most nonprofits might be on providing services to the communities they serve, there are also careers available to those who want to work with the development or technology departments. In this way, a career in a social change agency may include a wide range of different responsibilities.
While there are likely to be career opportunities for every employee in any organization that offers a social change position, the competition for some positions may be intense. Many nonprofits look to hire former government officials, as well as former executive officers and cabinet members, who have strong connections and experience in various fields and can bring a variety of skills and perspectives to the table. This is one reason why black women might be the best candidates for PR jobs within nonprofits – they already have strong relationships with key players in the business world and have demonstrated an ability to build and coordinate relationships, regardless of race or gender.