Getting our volunteers, campaign targets and communities to take meaningful action can be difficult. Check out these tips from the social sciences that may make the difference between action and apathy, along with examples for how these insights can get integrated into your plans or messaging. Here's one example – open up the tip sheet to see more!

Tip #1: Efficacy is essential.

Whether it’s persuading new faces to join your cause or mobilizing an existing base, empowering your supporters and building efficacy is essential. Efficacy is the feeling that “my actions matter and make a difference.” This seems obvious but many tactics, improperly framed, may not build efficacy. Four major forms of efficacy are:

• Self-efficacy: someone feeling like they are capable of helping
• External efficacy: the belief that their voice will be heard
• Collective efficacy: that acting together is more effective than acting alone
• Response efficacy: that the proffered solutions will work

Instead of this: “Join us at our town hall meeting next week so that we can shut down this pipeline project.”

Try this: “Your voice matters, so make sure it’s heard. Join us at our town hall meeting next week so that we can shut down this pipeline project.”