A guide to what to call your next endeavor or movement or program …
Categorizing the mission or offerings of your business or nonprofit with a distinct term immediately casts a certain perception. These words mean specific things out in the marketplace and your selection of them should be very deliberate.
Over the years I have seen these terms hit for massive results, I’ve sen the terms exploited, and sometimes used completely inappropriately.
I once had a client who was calling his program a system, but it was customized for each client both by topics and length of time. That’s not a system, it’s a customized program, a boutique offering.
I decided to cover some terms that you can use for your next venture to help brand it by using a term that already means something to the public and helps them understand what you are offering quickly.
Use these terms wisely. Keep reading to see what I mean.
In a nutshell:
Initiative = an important effort.
Campaign = a focused push toward a goal.
Movement = people joining together around change.
Program = an ongoing set of services.
Plan = a roadmap for what will be done.
Project = a defined undertaking with a beginning and end.
System = interconnected parts that make something work consistently.
Steps = the sequence of actions someone takes toward a goal.
Let’s go deeper. Here is each term, the question it answers, a definition and a sample.
Initiative: What important new effort are we undertaking?
What it is: A focused effort launched by an organization to address a need, pursue an opportunity, or create change. An initiative may contain several programs, projects, or activities and often signals something new or strategically important.
Like this: I once worked on a project through the Long Beach Health Department funded by CACHI-the California Accountable Community Health Initiative. It funded several projects to create a way to improve health outcomes across the state.
Campaign: What specific result are we trying to achieve within a certain period?
What it is: A coordinated series of activities conducted during a defined period to achieve a specific, measurable objective. Campaigns are commonly associated with fundraising, public awareness, advocacy, marketing, or behavior change.
Like this: It happens to be political campaign season ahead of the November election. How many mailed pieces will you receive for the candidates and propositions? Too many to count! Then it all stops after voting on November 3. It’s measured by wins and losses. Too close to call? A new campaign begins!
Campaigns take many shapes. Think of the ALS water bucket challenge. It was an awareness campaign that went viral. As long as “ALS” remained in the narrative of the videos shared on social media, they were aiding their goal. Creating awareness is usually a first step to something else that helps move the needle in some way.
Movement: What larger change are we trying to inspire people to join?
What it is: A broad, sustained effort to bring about social, cultural, political, or behavioral change, usually involving many people or organizations united around a common belief or cause.
Note that a movement is generally larger and less controlled by one organization than a campaign.
This statement is critical. It moves well beyond what one organization can control.
One of my favorite Ted Talks is about starting a movement. You can watch Derek Sivers describe “How to Start a Movement” here. It’s only three minutes and it’s too good to reduce it to what I can describe.
Like this: Giving Tuesday is an example of a movement encouraging people to give to charities or volunteer on the Tuesday after the shopping explosion known as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Those are all movements as well. Giving Tuesday is the rebound to all the conspicuous consumerism after Thanksgiving. We might think of it as the bookend opposite Thanksgiving.
Program: What ongoing service are we providing?
What it is: An organized, ongoing set of services or activities designed to serve a particular population or achieve specific outcomes. Programs usually have defined goals, participants, resources, and procedures.
Like this: This can be simply a singular program offered by a business or nonprofit or offerings within an organization that may have multiple products created as programs (the children’s program, the adult program, etc.). Meals on Wheels is very simple and straightforward. They deliver meals to home-bound older adults. It’s a food service delivery program for people who meet qualification standards. Weight Watchers is another example of a program as a business model. The program does not vary. You go get weighed every week and interact with others to talk about your relationship with food, and learn about nutrition.
System: How do we make this happen repeatedly and reliably?
What it is: A set of connected processes, people, tools, resources, or procedures that work together to accomplish an ongoing function or produce a consistent result. Unlike a project or campaign, a system is generally designed to continue operating over time. Some programs may incorporate a system.
Like this: A good example is Coordinated Entry System (CES), a system communities use to connect people experiencing homelessness with appropriate housing and services through a coordinated assessment and referral process. Many systems are large like the education system, the healthcare system, and others. Thinking of these we know that systems need to change and adapt. They need a plan!
Plan: Where are we going, and how will we get there?
What it is: A documented course of action that identifies what an organization intends to accomplish and how it will do so. A plan typically includes goals, strategies, responsibilities, timelines, and sometimes measurements or budgets.
Like this: I love plans! I have worked on a few locally for the City of Long Beach as a facilitator. The most recent to be completed is the Long Beach Age-Friendly Action Plan. It is comprehensive and collaborative.
Internally, you may have a strategic plan or a business plan that guides you.
Project: What specific thing are we going to accomplish or create?
What it is: A temporary, defined undertaking created to produce a particular result, product, event, or change. Unlike a program, a project normally has a clear beginning and end.
Like this: Many projects come from service clubs or leadership clubs. Think of projects that converted empty lots into community gardens, or parks. Youth groups are known for more concise, maybe done in a day projects like putting together hygiene kits for people experiencing homelessness, or collecting canned goods for local food pantries.
Steps: What does someone need to do, and in what order?
What it is: A sequence of specific actions or stages that someone follows to accomplish a goal. Usually, these are proven steps. One step builds on the one before it. Creating a set of steps works especially well to make a process feel understandable and achievable.
Like this: These can be institutionalized like 12-Step programs, or can be more general in nature, like defining the steps to home ownership. “Steps” are a common hook on the cover of magazines. “Three steps to a new you!” “Five steps to lose that stubborn ten pounds.” Sounds so simple!
Think of how you can apply these terms to your next undertaking or to rebrand a current program. Let me know how it goes.
Reach out if you need help. Leslie@McCormickLA.com
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