HOW TO MAKE AN IMPACT WITH YOUR ACTIVISM

How To Make an Impact With Your Activism

When you’re inspired to change the world, it’s natural to want your efforts to have a real impact. You want the time and energy you devote to activism to truly make a difference. But how do you ensure your hard work pays off? You can pinpoint where your impact will be most effective by crafting your ideal activism opportunity, conducting an impact analysis, and using simple Venn diagram examples to narrow your options.

  1. First, craft your ideal activism opportunity. Use this as a guide as you consider your activism options. Imagine your ideal activism opportunity and try to make it a reality.
  2. Next, find activism that works. Impact analysis can be easy with the tools here. Ensure your work pays off for your cause. 
  3. Finally, use Venn diagram examples to narrow your activism options to the right match between your cause, skills, and motivation.

Your Ideal Activism Opportunity

Pink and purple glitter surround a white paper with the word "dream" on it. Impact analysis, Venn diagram examples here. You have many choices about where to start with your activism. Still, the right place for you best matches your passion, skills, knowledge, and motivation. With focus, you can evaluate what is right for you and, in turn, maximize the impact you can make.

Before you jump into activism, take time to be clear about the right opportunity for you. Craft your ideal activism opportunity.

Going Solo vs. Joining Up

The first choice is whether you want to work alone or join an existing organization. The results from your personal motivation assessment may help you decide.

Going solo allows you much freedom and control but lacks the community and resources of an existing organization.

Joining an organization provides much support but less control over your work. Finding an organization that provides you with training and mentoring to help you grow is essential.

Characteristics of the Work

Now, consider the type of work that motivates you. Answer these questions:

  • Do I want to be a leader or a worker bee?
  • What skills do I want to learn?
  • How will I use my best skills and knowledge in activism?
  • What work will keep me motivated?
  • How much time can I devote to my cause?

Once you have imagined working in your perfect activism role, move on to your impact analysis.

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Activism That Works: Your Impact Analysis

Not all activism efforts lead to the same level of change. An impact analysis helps you evaluate where your efforts will create the most meaningful difference.

With some activism work, it is easy to see an impact. Some activism efforts yield immediate, visible results, like winning a political campaign. However, not all activism has such clear outcomes. For those situations, it’s essential to evaluate the impact of your work using thoughtful criteria.

Inspired by the effective altruism movement, the following questions will help you focus on work that truly matters. Answer these questions to decide if your opportunity will make a difference:

  • Will the activism dramatically improve a large number of lives?
  • How much change can I make?
  • How much is the cause overlooked?
  • Will my skills and passions lead to making a difference?
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Want an easier way to follow the Activism Path?

While Life At The Intersection offers a great starting point for becoming an activist, using The Happy Activist: Journey the 5-Step Activism Path to Focus Your Action and Change the World makes finding your perfect activism opportunity much easier. With in-depth material, hands-on exercises, and a companion workbook, you'll find the tools you need.

Get Your Copy Of The Happy Activist
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Narrow Your Options

After brainstorming and researching, you have a list of potential activism opportunities. The next step is to narrow your options to find the one that best matches your ideal activism opportunity.

Now, it’s time to bring it all together. One effective way to do this is to use overlapping circles (Venn diagram) to analyze the intersection of your gifts, motivation, and passion. Your perfect activism opportunity may lie at the intersection of these three elements.

For example, if you are skilled in teaching and drawing, and you want to prevent racism, what work is possible for your cause? Perhaps you can teach a course on helping racism victims tell their stories through art.

Experiment with different combinations of your interests and skills to see what opportunities arise. The intersection of your talents and passions often reveals the most powerful ways to contribute.

The video below provides a step-by-step guide to intersections:

Illustration - intersection of Drawing, Fighting racism and teaching.

Maximizing Your Impact

You can ensure that your impact is meaningful and sustainable by crafting your ideal activism opportunity, conducting an impact analysis, and using Venn diagram examples to align your efforts with your strengths. 

Make sure your hard work pays off in impact for the cause closest to your heart. With this effort up front, you’ll be a confident, impactful changemaker.

Go to Step 5: How to Stay Motivated in Your Activism

Step 5

Follow the 5-Step Activism Path