Toolkit - CoalitionWILD

Rising Leaders

A Toolkit For Action CoalitionWILD believes in the ability of this generation of rising leaders to initiate change to create a wilder world – in their communities and across the globe. This toolkit provides some key resources to begin that journey.

Table of Contents

What is CoalitionWILD? Getting Started – Six Critical Tools for Action Six Habits of Highly Effective Social Entrepreneurs The Issue – The Five Why’s

Message with SUCCESS Target Audiences Outreach Tools and Tactics Make it Count 10 DOs and DONTs The Contest Reading List

What is CoalitionWILD

A collaborative project between The Murie Center, The WILD Foundation, and D. Simon Jackson, founder of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, CoalitionWILD is a movement of rising leaders creating a wilder word. CoalitionWILD is a global, connected community of passionate people who are finding innovative solutions to the threats facing our planet. The movement inspires, cultivates and connects rising leaders from around the world by offering a platform to showcase innovative projects and ideas. Optimistic, passionate, and inclusive, CoalitionWILD is creating a new voice for the conservation movement. With each new project or idea, CoalitionWILD moves a step closer to showing the world how each person can make an impact and a better future for all life. We provide the tools, resources and connections to initiate change in communities and offer a platform to showcase innovative ideas and on-the-ground projects. The movement highlights how connected we are to each other, how connected we are to nature, and how we people and nature will thrive together.

People are doing great things all over the world. The things they are doing are working. We just need more people doing. Big things. Small things. More leaders. Rising.

There are seven billion of us. Seven billion reasons for hope. “Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation.” Robert F. Kennedy

Six Critical Tools for Action

Changing the world isn’t hard. Just ask Simon Jackson, who founded The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition (SBYC) at the age of 13 to protect the rare white Kermode bear. The SBYC was the largest youth-led environmental movement in the world, with a network of more than six million in 87 countries. The organization put forward a new brand of environmentalism that helped forge balance in the Canadian pipeline debate, created BC's first defacto wildlife sanctuary, and established the largest land protection measure in North American history. After twenty years, the Youth Coalition has completed its mandate and the spirit bear, while not fully saved, is safe. Simon always says he’s not gifted or unique: he was just one young person who was fortunate enough to find his passion and follow it. Everyone at the Youth Coalition strongly believes that you can do the same thing Simon has done for the spirit bear for any issue that you believe in. But before you change the world, remember Simon’s six critical tools for success:

ACTION TOOL #1: Passion If an individual is interested in a particular cause, it is important that they care passionately about the issue. Passion is critical in order to convey the message.

ACTION TOOL #2: Focus It is important that the individual focus on one issue rather than several. This is one of the harder lessons I had to learn, as I was bombarded by so many issues on a daily basis, many of which I wanted to get involved in. However, to make a difference in an issue, I learned that I needed to give my undivided attention to one issue and learn everything there was to know about it. I realized that if I became involved in several issues, my attention and focus would be fractured and as a result, I would be more of a hindrance than a help to others involved. With that said, this does not mean that you shouldn’t write a letter in support of various causes that you believe in, for that is important. But in terms of leading an issue - focus on one.

F

ACTION TOOL #3: Research The first crucial step to becoming involved in a cause is education. Begin by contacting different individuals from all sides of an issue and ask for information. If you have more questions, don’t be afraid to ask - it is important to get the whole picture, with as little bias as possible, in order to understand the issue. Once you have a basic understanding, start spreading the word and continue “Never be afraid to your own research - you can never know too much. ask questions or try And the more you know, the better chance you have of being a major force in the decision making for the impossible.” process. It isn’t hard work, but it is time consuming work - that is why it is crucial to stay the course and be committed.

Six Critical Tools for Action

G

ACTION TOOL #4: Ask Never be afraid to ask questions or try for the impossible. The worst-case scenario is no and the best case is yes - either way, you will never know until you ask. As an old saying goes, the greatest sin is not trying and you might just end up surprising yourself. G

ACTION TOOL #5: Hope There is no point campaigning for an issue if you don’t believe that you will be successful. No matter how grim the circumstances are, it is important not to lose hope. Along the campaign trail, like anything in life, there will be road blocks and disheartening moments; but no matter how large the problem may seem, if you stay the course and believe in your cause, no challenge is insurmountable.

ACTION TOOL #6: One No matter what people may say to the contrary, one person, no matter what their age, can make a difference for all life. It is the most important lesson to learn and the most important lesson to teach. Many youth and for that matter, many adults, have become disenfranchised with policy making decisions, but that should not be the case. In the words of Robert Kennedy to the oppressed members of South African society in June 1965: “There is the danger of futility: the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills...Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation...It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or striking out against an injustice, he seeds forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

Six Habits of Highly Effective Social Entrepreneurs

Develop SOLUTIONS

Practice INCLUSION

Social and environmental problems may be what motivate social entrepreneurs but they don’t focus people on the “problem.” Instead, they engage others and create excitement around new solutions, usually in the form of a product or service. They talk “value propositions” not mission statements.

Social entrepreneurs know social change is complex and much more difficult than getting people to buy your can of soda. It often requires behavior and/or system change. To achieve that type of impact, you need understanding, empathy & collaboration. Social entrepreneurs succeed when they include others in the design, production, distribution and evaluation of their solutions.

Measure OUTCOMES

Leverage ASSETS

Social entrepreneurs know exactly how their solution benefits people or the environment and they measure their success by their impact, not by their good intention. They know the difference between outputs (which measure your effort) and outcomes (which measure the impact of your effort). They measure outcomes so they can know and show the real difference their making.

The vast majority of social entrepreneurs have to bootstrap their way to success. So you don’t start with “business plans”. You start by creatively leveraging your assets, which include people, skills, resources, organizations and networks. When you can demonstrate some success or achieve impact with what you already have, you can then convince other to help you scale.

Establish CHANGE MODELS

Think LONG-TERM

Whereas businesses find systematic ways to generate profit, social entrepreneurs find systematic ways to create change. They find formulas for change (also known as change models) that can be repeatable and scalable. This allows them to focus on the essentials and bring change to as many people as possible.

Small change is easy. Big change is hard. To have meaningful impact on a problem, you need longterm thinking. That means thinking about how solutions can last, how ventures can sustain, and how outcomes can scale. This is what differentiates short-term projects from longlasting ventures.

The Issue: The Five Whys

Simple exercise to find the root cause of an issue: 1. State the problem you are trying to address. 2. Identify an indicator – something that tells you there IS a problem. 3. Ask why this is the case. 4. For the reason you just gave, ask why this is the case. 5. Again, for this reason you just gave, ask why this is the case. 6. Again, for this reason you just gave, ask why this is the case. 7. One last time, for the reason you just gave, ask why this is the case. By this time you get the 4 th or 5 th why, you might see something that resembles a root cause.

E XAMPLE Problem: Climate Change Indicator: Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising. Why: Coal-powered plants are pumping more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Why: We are relying on coal to meet our increasing energy needs.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: 1. There can be many root causes. Try to identify one at a time. 2. Root causes don’t have to be universal. They can AND often are very specific to a community. 3. It’s tempting to offer multiple explanations for something. You might want to say something is happening because of x and y. But for this exercise, choose one explanation – the one you think is most important. 4. Ask a friend, a teacher or mentor to do this exercise with you. The best way they can help you is to repeat your answers back to you.

Why: Coal is still the “cheapest” source of energy. Why: Clean sources of energy have not been properly developed. Why: There isn’t enough investment or market demand for clean energy (ROOT CAUSE!)

Message with Success

From the book Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath

Developing that lead to using that are

S olutions O utcomes

C hange models I nclusive A sset-based And L ong-lasting

Challenge Plot Someone overcomes a difficult challenge. Creativity Plot Someone comes up with a brilliant solution or something truly out of the ordinary.

Connection Plot Someone makes an unlikely connection with someone else.

Do you have an inspirational story?

Does someone overcome a difficult challenge?

Does someone come up with a brilliant solution?

Does the project bring together people who are usually worlds apart?

If you answer YES to any of the three questions, then you have a powerful story waiting to get out!

Target Audiences

From the book Tools of Engagement developed by the National Audubon Society

A target audience is a segment of the population that has a specific opportunity to take action on the problem you have identified. It may also be a segment of the population that is specifically affected by the problem you have identified.

The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically once you identify it. Choosing your target audience(s) is important as you begin building your project, campaigning for support, and addressing various stakeholders. Who will you target and why? What do you want them to know, feel, and do? What specific behaviors do you want them to change or adopt? What are the barriers to change?

Ask yourself the following questions: Which individuals or groups are the drivers – or are the people directly causing the problem?

Strategically, which audiences do you want to target?

Are there people who can influence the people causing the problem?

Which audiences can help you achieve long-term behavior changes?

What are alternative behaviors that you want your target audience to adopt? What are the barriers to getting your audiences to change their behaviors?

What motivates the current action or behavior?

How can you overcome these barriers?

Outreach Tools and Tactics

There are a range of options when considering outreach tools and tactics. Each captures a different audience in a unique way. The most successful campaigns are those that combine multiple tools across a range of audiences with exciting and innovative messages.

Mass Media

Events

Educational Media

News releases Advertisements Social Media (website, email,

Public Presentations Demonstrations Contests Workshops or forums Roundtable discussions Tours or fieldtrips Meetings with high profile people Awards or ceremonies Open houses

Social marketing campaigns Reports Publications Surveys Advocacy campaigns Posters, brochures or flyers Curriculum Exhibits Poster sessions

blog, Facebook, Twitter, Listserv, etc.)

Fact or tip sheet Op-eds Interviews Earned media Direct Mail

Before you start, you must create a goal for your outreach campaign, identify the audience you’d like to reach, and develop your message. Consider the following questions:

Are you trying to get people to do a specific, concrete action?

Social Media Marketing

Are you trying to influence values and attitudes?

Educational Media and Events

Do you need to change policies and laws?

Advocacy campaigns and social marketing

Make It Count We all want to see PROOF that our work makes a difference, however small. Funders and donors want to see it, volunteers want to see it, and WE – change-makers – want to see it. We want to know that all the time and effort we put into our project pay off. That’s why it’s important that we measure outcome. Measuring outcome involves asking one main question: What difference are you making to the beneficiary of your cause? If you’re trying to help the environment, how is it different because of your work? If you’re helping people, how are they better off?

Outcome ISN’T: amount of money you raise for education. Outcome IS: number of students you put through school. Outcome ISN’T: number of vegan pamphlets you pass out. Outcome IS: number of people who become vegans.

Some outcomes are easier to measure than others and some are quicker to realize than others.

Outcome measurement is especially challenging with advocacy, awareness, and prevention campaigns because the results are usually not immediate or visible to you. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t launch such campaigns. But you might consider including activities that have more immediate outcomes.

MEASURING OUTCOMES: There is no absolute right way to measure outcomes, but you can start by answering three basic questions: 1. Who or what am I trying to help? 2. How do I want things to be different for the beneficiary? 3. What indicator or data would tell me if things are different?

EXAMPLE: 1. Who am I trying to help? African villages. 2. How do I want things to be different? Have clean water supply. 3. What indicators would tell me if things are different? Number of wells dug, people using wells, cases of water-related diseases.

10 Dos and DONTs

1. DO ask who is not yet at your planning table. Have you just included the “usual suspects”? How diverse is your group? 2. DO have patience as you plan and implement your social strategies. Remember that you may have worked on your project for a long time, but your target audiences may just be beginning. 3. DO think about the interests of your target audiences. And see how you can make connections to those interests. 4. DO create small, doable steps for people to take. Frame issues as solvable. Create messaging that is optimistic, inclusive and exciting. Pose easy and convenient ways for people (especially “first timers”) to get involved.

5. DO incorporate hands-on and experiential learning into your program. Giving people the ability to make a difference and see the impact of their work, even on a small scale, may spur a lifetime of interest in environmental stewardship and support. 6. DON’T leave any discipline out of your planning efforts. Projects will be more successful and sustainable over time if people with expertise in science, policy, education, communication and development work together from the start. 7. DON’T use language or messages that fail to persuade your target audiences. Informally test how your message works with your audiences before using it widely. Always lean towards language that isn’t divisive, negative, or offensive. 8. DON’T assume that if people know about a problem, they will do something about it. Listen to your audience, and base your “call to action” on what they care about, rather than on what you care about. 9. DON’T be overly reliant on information like statistics, monetary incentives, or attention getting campaigns. Instead, identify the barriers people have to change and make overcoming those barriers easier, cheaper, less time consuming, or more rewarding. 10. DON’T stick with a plan that isn’t working. Listen to feedback, analyze your short term results and be willing to adjust your plan based on new information.

The Challenge Are you making a difference in your community? Or do you have a great idea on how you could with the right tools, support and network? We want you to share your vision – in writing, by video or even through images. Your submission doesn’t have to be fancy or long: just tell us what you are doing and why.

Inspire us. Excite us. And most of all – be you! Projects can range from local to global in scope and can tackle anything from stream cleanups to endangered species campaigns, but each idea will help show the world how our generation can protect nature. By sharing ideas and projects, you will be helping CoalitionWILD establish a hub for inspiring action, trouble-shooting challenges and providing a peer-to-peer support network for young leaders to make the world a wilder place. CoalitionWILD will act as a hub of global activity. Our social media tools will encourage the promotion of efforts of all sizes to make the world a wilder place, with a list of featured activities updated regularly. Encourage your social network to join ours and, together, let’s create a strong cohort of young leaders, spanning the globe, who through hundreds of projects will enhance community, foster leadership, inspire civic-mindedness, and encourage innovative new approaches to conservation. And every project will prove to ourselves what we can achieve for nature and the world when we each work to do our part to make it a wilder place.

Send us your work! Visit www.coalitionwild.org, go to the ‘Projects’ page and click on ‘Submit A Project.’ Or email [email protected] for questions and more information.

Reading List SWITCH BY DAN AND CHIP HEATH

M AKING G OOD BY D EV A UJLA H OW TO C HANGE THE W ORLD BY D AVID B ORNSTEIN T OOLS OF E NGAGEMENT BY THE N ATIONAL A UDUBON S OCIETY T HE F OUR S TEPS TO THE E PIPHANY BY S TEVEN G ARY B LANK T HE E NTREPRENEUR ’ S G UIDE TO C USTOMER D EVELOPMENT BY B RANT C OOPER AND P ATRICK V LASKOVITS IDEO’ S H UMAN -C ENTERED D ESIGN D EMONSTRATING V ALUE I MPACT R EPORTING AND I NVESTMENT S TANDARDS (IRIS) T HE P OWER OF P OSITIVE D EVIANCE BY R ICHARD P ASCALE , J ERRY S TERNIN AND M ONIQUE S TERNIN B USINESS M ODEL G ENERATION BY A LEXANDER O STERWALDER B UILDING S OCIAL B USINESS BY M UHAMMAD Y UNUS