Why Most Activation Plans Fail and How to Fix Yours

Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact

Is your organization struggling to turn awareness into meaningful action? You’ve nailed the brand and the website, but supporters still aren’t stepping up. Why?

In this episode, Eric and Jonathan tackle the critical but often overlooked concept of activation: turning passive attention into real-world impact.

Whether you’re trying to inspire donations, mobilize volunteers, or drive policy changes, this conversation is packed with strategies to help you succeed.

Discover why activation is the hardest—and most important—part of your impact strategy, and how to finally get it right.
Episode Highlights:

[00:00] What Is Activation?
Eric defines activation as "turning attention into action" and explains why it’s the most challenging yet crucial element of any social impact strategy.

[02:30] The Three Pillars of Success.
Eric outlines the three core pillars of social impact strategy: brand, digital, and activation—and why activation is where most organizations struggle.

[06:04] Forms of Activation.
From fundraising to advocacy, Jonathan and Eric explore the many ways activation plays out in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors.

[12:10] Modern Content Creation.
Eric breaks down the key elements of modern content creation: distribution-first thinking, channel proficiency, and community feedback.

[20:18] Evaluation and Iteration.
Jonathan and Eric emphasize the importance of continuous improvement in activation efforts and explain how to measure success.

[33:16] Starting Small.
Jonathan shares how focusing on a single person or small audience can help organizations experiment and refine their activation strategies.

[38:01] The Human Factor.
Jonathan reflects on what motivates people to act and shares a personal story that reveals the key ingredients of effective activation.

Notable Quotes:

Eric [00:00]: "Activation is turning attention into action. It’s the hardest part, but it’s also where the magic happens."

Jonathan [36:52]: "At the end of the day, we’re convincing human beings to make decisions. How do we make that easy for them?"

Resources:

• City of Marion Public Library Instagram
• Podcast - Distribution First Mindset - Create LESS Content to Get Better Results
• Article - How to Increase Supporter and Donor Action Using an Engagement Pyramid
• Article - Turning Stats Into Stories: Supercharge Your Social Enterprise’s Proof of Impact
• Podcast - Minimum Viable Strategy - How to Stop Planning and Start Doing

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Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

Chapter

1. Effective Activation Strategies for Social Impact (00:00:00)

2. Activating Attention for Social Impact (00:05:55)

3. Effective Activation Strategies Through Community Feedback (00:14:01)

4. Effective Activation Strategies in Practice (00:27:36)