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Social Messaging The business of creating civil society and producing social change. "CBOs, (community-based organizations) are 501(c)(3) organizations that work in collaboration with government and philanthropic funders to build the human services ecosystem that ensures the health and well-being of all Americans. Most people know more familiar terms, like 'nonprofit' or 'charity'." "However, when people think about 'charity,' or about the work of human services organizations, does it bring to mind negative associations? Do they find themselves thinking about 'handouts' for the poor, or imagine that nonprofits don’t operate as effectively as 'real' businesses do? Perhaps, when people think about organizations that provide human services, they don’t think of them as being in the business of creating civil society and producing social change at all." "To more effectively tell the story of human services, framing science encourages us to begin by identifying a shared value. Negative frames like 'poverty' and 'charity' can overshadow the intended message by dividing people into categories of either 'givers' or “'takers.' By contrast, utilizing shared values encourages audiences to see themselves in the issue, as when human services are framed as 'common sense solutions,' that reflect American pragmatism." Article: Reframing Human Services for Greater Impact |