I think everyone’s feeling a bit of that – now that the same information can be found repeated everywhere by many people in a variety of contexts, it feels good to have it invested with a bit of feeling and a bit of good. It just makes everyone feel BETTER, doesn’t it?

It’s content for a purpose, not just for content’s sake. And there’s lots of other ways of achieving that, but charity is an accessible, popular way of feeling like there’s a contribution to be made even if all you can do is RT a message or change your avatar colour.

I agree with what you say about many campaigns happening now because motivated individuals make them happen. Social media is largely responsible for making that possible. Now people have the tools readily available, they don’t *need* charities to run a campaign – they can do it themselves.

The question is, is a small amount of tactical change, driven by motivated individuals, as effective as long-term, incremental change, as delivered by charities?

Many people seem to think that too much money given to charities goes towards ‘admin’, but a lot of the core running costs of charities cover the infrastructure that enables them to continue to deliver incremental change strategically and sustainably. The feasibility studies they undertake, and the analysis and reporting on their impact, might seem to some to be a ‘waste of money’, but they can also mean the difference between making a lasting, positive difference where it’s most needed and making changes that individuals might desire.

But really, this post had it’s roots in a conversation we were having when we got into the office that morning about how we all remember being treated like ‘the poor relation’ a few years back when we mentioned we worked in the charity sector.

I vividly remember how thrilled I was to get my first fundraising role and how shocked I was that most of my peers at the time seemed to think marketing dog food, editing car magazines, doing travel PR – or doing virtually *anything* else – in the ‘commercial world’ was preferable to working for a charity. It seemed that most people thought working for a good cause seemed rather dull, a little bit worthy (somehow not in a good way!), and for people who couldn’t get a ‘better’ job.

These days, the reaction when I tell people couldn’t be more different. Often, they seem almost envious. More and more people seem to want to know how to get a job working for, or with, charities (I’m constantly being asked).

We think attitudes have shifted significantly, and that can only be good for good causes – charities or not. More people want to do good, so we hope more good will be done. And – you’re right – that’s really cool.