PWIT Workshop 3: Reframing indirect costs – values based communications on paying what it takes

The Paying What it Takes Report reveals that there are a number of adaptive challenges for funders and for purpose organisations to work on in order to change funding practice. One significant challenge is how many people within and beyond the sector think and talk about indirect costs and their relationship to the effectiveness and efficiency of social purpose organisations (irrespective of the evidence).

In this workshop, Common Cause will introduce participants to values based messaging, including how it pertains to indirect costs and paying what it takes. In the workshop, participants will discuss how framing and messaging affects the way their own organisations and stakeholders view the issue of indirect costs and how to improve the perception of indirect costs using values based messaging and new stories.

This workshop will be recorded to contribute to Common Cause’s analysis of the sector’s framing of indirect costs and their development of new messaging recommendations for the Pay What It Takes coalition.

By participating in this workshop you will both learn actionable approaches and help to shape messaging recommendations for the sector.

Presenters 

Mark Chenery, co founder, Common Cause Australia (He/Him)
Mark Chenery is a communications expert and trainer who works with mission driven organisations and political parties to incorporate a values-based approach to messaging.

His background includes advertising and journalism and heading up the community engagement program of an international human rights organisation in Australia.

Since establishing Common Cause Australia in 2014, he and his colleagues have trained over 5,000 campaigners, communicators and fundraisers from Australia and New Zealand in the science of values and framing.

Mark has worked with dozens of organisations on values-based messaging. His research has changed the way many of Australia’s leading mission driven organisations as well as government departments and agencies communicate with the public on social justice, health and environmental issues.

Gemma Pitcher, Associate, Common Cause (She/Her)
Gemma began her career as a travel writer in Africa before moving to the nonprofit sector, holding senior communications roles at organisations including ActionAid and Red Cross.

She entered the campaigning sphere as communications manager for a NSW state MP, alongside her freelance career as an in-demand copywriter.

Gemma is now a communications and messaging consultant, helping organisations tell new and fresh campaign stories in strategic ways.

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