The Humanitarian Approach

The Humanitarian = Look for communities in need

 

Sometimes you have to think with your heart. Most of us have causes or communities we care deeply about. If you’re aiming to have passion for your venture and to stick with it for years, it helps to explore opportunities that resonate deeply with you. Those who wear this hat when identifying an opportunity may use the following logic. If you choose something primarily because it seems profitable, you’ll someday soon find yourself without the drive to suffer through unprofitable periods that invariable arise. Those employing a humanitarian mindset may also argue that the whole point of journalism and media should be to make the world a better place, rather than to profit for profit’s sake.

 

Regardless of whether you agree with those assumptions, the fact remains that there are disadvantaged people all over the world in desperate need of media. Some desperately need someone to shine a spotlight on injustices that make their lives miserable and hopeless. Others urgently need information and entertainment as they struggle through life. Journalists can help draw the attention of those with wealth, power and skill to local, regional or global challenges they may not have been aware of.

 

Media created primarily for humanitarian reasons can face particular challenges in becoming sustainable. Traditionally, non-profit news sources rely heavily on philanthropy. Grants and donations can disappear when the strategies, preferences or whims of funders shift, leaving founders on uncertain footing.

 

As we approach 2020, though, new approaches to sustainability are emerging that give promise to the possibility of creating viable nonprofit media entities. As we’ll explore further in the chapter on revenue and sustainability, being nonprofit doesn’t have to mean relying on handouts. More than 100 members of the Institute for Nonprofit News have explored and capitalized on dozens of new approaches to bringing in revenue. From new membership programs and crowdfunding to data, e-commerce, and premium content, these progressive journalism startups are challenging assumptions about sustainability for nonprofit ventures.

 

Next Steps:

 

List the three causes and communities you care about most. If there are a dozen that you care about, filter them down to three. Think about subgroups within the areas you’ve chosen that are most in need, or for whom you have something in particular to offer. Think about individuals—specific people—in these communities who you can envision using a new product or service. What would that look like? What kind of product or service might they try? What would they likely use regularly? What would they share with friends or family members? Who else do you know who has a related interest in that community? Have a conversation with them to hear their perspective on the community’s needs and the opportunity to serve some subgroup in that community in a new way.