Whether you’re feeling fired up after the General Election or if that surprise date and rush to get your message out there took everything out of you – Parliament being back in session this week means now is a crucial time to engage your supporters in the vital steps to making change happen.
We’ve seen lots of charities pull out all the stops over the last couple of months to energise their email lists, help them navigate a changed political landscape, and hold the new government accountable. So we wanted to share a few of our favourite tactics to help inspire you with what you could ask your supporters to do next:
1: Asking emotive questions
Just Treatment wasted no time reacting to the new Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s announcement that “Labour would ‘hold the door open’ for the private sector in the NHS.” They sent supporters a one-question poll asking if they’re worried about the private sector getting a bigger role in the NHS. This led straight to a powerful donation ask to help Just Treatment hold the government accountable.
Why we love this: Tactics like polls and surveys help build a two-way relationship with supporters, and asking an emotive question that’s super easy to answer strengthens the charity’s shared values with the supporter, priming them to donate.
2: Providing expert analysis
Another Just Treatment tactic: right after the King’s Speech, they shared a blog post that breaks down Labour’s actions on the NHS, pointing out gaps and failures – providing expert analysis on the issues facing the NHS under the new government.
Why we love this: Times of political change are golden opportunities to position your charity as the go-to source for information and to make a strong case for why it’s crucial to support your cause. Think of yourselves as a breaking news desk, and be ready to respond to relevant stories with your expertise to help build trust and understanding.
3: Putting pressure on the new Prime Minister
Amnesty International UK nailed it with a powerful ad featuring two children asking Keir Starmer to fight for human rights. This led to an open letter to Starmer, reminding him of his pledge to protect human rights and urging him to make that promise a reality.
Why we love this: Everyone has jumped on using Starmer in ads and in open letters – a recognisable face like this has great cut-through. But Amnesty made sure their ask stood out by working with children who could speak frankly and boldly and demand better, especially as they didn’t get a voice in the election itself.
4. Putting pressure on new and unusual targets
Surfers Against Sewage rallied their supporters to attend an online event with Ofwat – the body responsible for regulating our water companies – where they could share their views on sewage pollution and keep up the pressure on Ofwat to hold polluting water companies accountable.
Why we love this: This fresh approach targets an unusual key player (in this case, Ofwat) and shows a different side of campaigning that isn’t just focused on the government. Plus, it was a great way to deepen supporter engagement with Surfers Against Sewage and give people a higher-bar action to take to harness the momentum of the post-election moment.
5. Sending powerful reactive donate asks
In the wake of the Labour government’s announcement to scrap the Bibby Stockholm prison barge housing asylum seekers, Care4Calais jumped on the opportunity to celebrate their supporters’ role in making this change happen.
But they didn’t stop there – this timely email highlighted that the Labour government needs to go a step further and close the Wethersfield camp too, and asked supporters to chip in and fund the campaign to shut the camp.
Why we love this: This email does two fantastic things: it recognises the power of a movement when they act together, and it uses reactive messaging by jumping on relevant news headlines to drive more action. It could be easy to see a success and think ‘job done’, but it’s a great moment to use the momentum of change and show supporters what needs to happen next.
—
We hope you found these examples useful inspiration! With Parliament back in session, now is the time to prioritise building relationships with the new government and getting the lay of the land. But it’s so important to make sure your supporters know what their next impactful action can be.
If you want to explore new tactics that help mobilise your supporters in this crucial time, raise vital funds and build relationships with key players in Parliament, we’d love to work with you. Just drop us an email at hello@forwardaction.uk to get started.