Maybe I am putting the cart- before- the-horse by worrying before I even have a business plan.

Will keep you posted as to any developments with in my chapter regarding ’social responsibility’ type projects. I will also raise the issue at our next AGM.

Carol

I’m really glad that you expressed your interest in a social responsibility effort when you joined IABC. I’m hoping to put some thoughts together and get input from other IABC members and communications professionals as to how we can nurture this piece of the Advocacy Initiative at the chapter, region and international levels. I also don’t want to be a “loose cannon,” so I’ll pass any ideas onto Mike Zimet, who is heading the IABC Advocacy Initiative.

Regarding your decision whether to make money or serve others: Maybe you won’t have to make the choice, or maybe the choice will be easier once you’ve had time to focus on building your consultancy while serving on a volunteer effort like the IABC Advocacy Initiative.

Any advice or hands-on help you can provide, once we get rolling, will be appreciated. In turn, IABC is full of professionals who will be more than willing to give you the advice you seek. You may want to check out IABC’s MemberSpeak forum, or post a request for advice on one of the two social networking sites for communicators.

Comment again, if you would like me to elaborate on any of this.

Tom

Thanks for presenting this on going debate with such lucidity. Your advocacy focus on social responsibility concept identified in point three is much like the AD Council concept, where through the AD council advertising firms offer not-for-profit organisations much needed social marketing support for their causes, pro-bono.

May I say that I’ve only been a member of IABC since Feb of this year, and one of the first questions I asked my chapter was whether they had a charity or volunteer sub-committee to do exactly what you are prescribing in your third point. You see my work in the government sector has brought me really close to NGO sector here in Trinidad, and I see where a good communications and marketing strategy could help so many of them in their resource mobilisation efforts.

I’ll be honest with you, this is area where I had intended to focus my consultancy on in the next year or two (I’d be 37 by then). So I feel torn between my personal sense of social responsibility to NGO groups, especially those that offer programmes and services for children- and my ability to pay the bills and have my consultancy grow. I want to have my cake AND eat it too. MY passion is really for the NGO sector and offering my skills and experience as a business communicator to them. Would appreciate any advice or suggestion form yourself or other veterans out there on how I can pursue my passion and still pay the bills.

Nevertheless any initiative that IABC embarks on in the area of social responsibility I will fully support.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.