Framing Corporate Framing Corporate PhilanthropyPhilanthropy

A Program forA Program for

San Diego GrantmakersSan Diego Grantmakers

byby

Dr. Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.Dr. Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.

UCLAUCLA

Outline:Outline:

Why strategic communications Why strategic communications matters to corporate philanthropy matters to corporate philanthropy

The importance of values in public The importance of values in public reasoning about social issuesreasoning about social issues

The tension between social change The tension between social change and philanthropyand philanthropy

Important Distinctions: Important Distinctions: What this talk is aboutWhat this talk is about

This talk is about how to move public will This talk is about how to move public will in a direction to better leverage corporate in a direction to better leverage corporate community investmentscommunity investments

This talk is about why and what you This talk is about why and what you communicate, not howcommunicate, not how

This talk is about identifying This talk is about identifying communication tools that help you think communication tools that help you think through the why and whatthrough the why and what

This talk is about cognitive, not moral This talk is about cognitive, not moral failure in the general public and in the failure in the general public and in the boardroomboardroom

Important Distinctions: This Important Distinctions: This talk is not abouttalk is not about

Social marketing – great for changing Social marketing – great for changing individual behavior, less useful for individual behavior, less useful for moving public willmoving public will

A bumper sticker or communications A bumper sticker or communications silver bullet – “Friends Don’t Let silver bullet – “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk”Friends Drive Drunk”

Solving policy or strategic goalsSolving policy or strategic goals

Why Communications Matters Why Communications Matters to Corporate Philanthropyto Corporate Philanthropy

The Power of Frames for Public The Power of Frames for Public Thinking and DiscourseThinking and Discourse

What Is A Frame?What Is A Frame?

““The way a story is told – its The way a story is told – its selective use of particular symbols, selective use of particular symbols, metaphors, and messengers – which, metaphors, and messengers – which, in turn, triggers the shared and in turn, triggers the shared and durable cultural models that people durable cultural models that people use to make sense of their world.” use to make sense of their world.”

(Bales and Gilliam)(Bales and Gilliam)

Learning from Cognitive Learning from Cognitive LinguisticsLinguistics

““People understand almost everything by applying People understand almost everything by applying conceptual frames. The conclusion one draws conceptual frames. The conclusion one draws depends on the frame one uses…..People reason depends on the frame one uses…..People reason metaphorically most of the time without being aware metaphorically most of the time without being aware of it.”of it.”

Since it is a complete way of thinking and not just Since it is a complete way of thinking and not just talking, a metaphor includes patterns of reasoning. talking, a metaphor includes patterns of reasoning. Metaphors allow us to make extensive inferences Metaphors allow us to make extensive inferences beyond the word actually used. beyond the word actually used.

Lakoff and Johnson, Metaphors We Live By, University Lakoff and Johnson, Metaphors We Live By, University of Chicago Press, 1980.of Chicago Press, 1980.

Lakoff, Moral Politics, University of Chicago Press, 1996.Lakoff, Moral Politics, University of Chicago Press, 1996.

Framing EffectsFraming Effects

““Every frame defines the issue, Every frame defines the issue, explains who is responsible, and explains who is responsible, and suggests potential solutions…suggests potential solutions…conveyed by images, stereotypes, or conveyed by images, stereotypes, or anecdotes” (Charlotte Ryan, 1991).anecdotes” (Charlotte Ryan, 1991).

Framing Matters

““““ “Movements are engaged in ‘meaning-work’ …the struggle over the production of ideas of meaning…The failure of mass mobilization when structural conditions seem otherwise ripe may be accounted for by the absence of a resonant master frame.” Snow and Benford

Frames As MobilizersFrames As Mobilizers

Civil Rights Movement

Christian charity: White Americans, Black church

Conventional democratic theory: secular liberals, govt

Gandhian nonviolence: Northern intellectuals, media

Environmental Movement

Responsible manager: business, bystander publics, voters

Steward: people of faith, swing conservatives

Visionary: business, politicians, consumers

What Is Reframing?What Is Reframing?

““Changing the context of the Changing the context of the message exchange”message exchange”

So that different interpretations and So that different interpretations and outcomes become visible to the outcomes become visible to the publicpublic

By identifying rival frames orBy identifying rival frames or Using primes Using primes

Implications for Corporate Implications for Corporate PhilanthropyPhilanthropy

The failure to effectively frame your The failure to effectively frame your communications means that people (senior communications means that people (senior mgt; employees; public; policy makers) will mgt; employees; public; policy makers) will default to the most accessible mental imagesdefault to the most accessible mental images

These images generally do not elevate the These images generally do not elevate the importance or impact of community importance or impact of community investmentsinvestments

There are no frameless transactionsThere are no frameless transactions E.G. - Individual donations; charity; good E.G. - Individual donations; charity; good

deeds > different from community impact deeds > different from community impact which represents the optimal leveraging of which represents the optimal leveraging of corporate dollarscorporate dollars

The Importance of Values: The Importance of Values: Defining Who You AreDefining Who You Are

What Research Suggests What Research Suggests About How People ThinkAbout How People Think

People use mental shortcuts to make People use mental shortcuts to make sense of the world.sense of the world.

Incoming information provides cues about Incoming information provides cues about where to “file” it mentally.where to “file” it mentally.

People get most information about public People get most information about public affairs from the news media which, over affairs from the news media which, over time, creates a framework of expectation, time, creates a framework of expectation, or dominant frame.or dominant frame.

Over time, we develop habits of thought Over time, we develop habits of thought and expectation and configure incoming and expectation and configure incoming information to conform to this frame.information to conform to this frame.

Levels of ThinkingLevels of Thinking

Level OneLevel One: Big ideas, like : Big ideas, like justicejustice, , preventionprevention, , familyfamily, , equality and opportunityequality and opportunity

Level TwoLevel Two: Issue-types, like : Issue-types, like women’swomen’s rightsrights, , the environmentthe environment, , children’s issueschildren’s issues, , employmentemployment

Level ThreeLevel Three: Specific issues, like : Specific issues, like treatment of treatment of women by the Talibanwomen by the Taliban, , rainforestsrainforests, , daycaredaycare, , minimum wageminimum wage

SafetyFamily

Self-made Child

Child Rearing

School Readiness

SchoolReadiness

Development

Nurturance

SchoolReadiness

Education

Elitism1

2

3

Lakoff’s Rule of LevelsLakoff’s Rule of Levels

You can only fight level three You can only fight level three challenges if you know the level one challenges if you know the level one and two frames.and two frames.

Never accept the opposition’s level Never accept the opposition’s level one and two frames, or it doesn’t one and two frames, or it doesn’t matter what you say at level three.matter what you say at level three.

Using Level One MessagesUsing Level One Messages

Fairness Freedom Justice Security Future Legacy Stewardship Responsibility Opportunity Reliability Protection Prevention Connection Community

WHICH LEVEL ONE WHICH LEVEL ONE CHOICE WILL BEST PRIME CHOICE WILL BEST PRIME THE FOLLOWING THE FOLLOWING POLICIES:POLICIES:

Continuing Education Job Training Day Care Subsidies Health Insurance Access to Union Jobs Better Unemployment

Benefits More Benefits for Part-Time

Workers Raising Minimum Wage Adjusting Poverty Guidelines Living Wage Standards Expanded EITC

Implications for Corporate Implications for Corporate PhilanthropyPhilanthropy

The common communications mistake is to The common communications mistake is to communicate solely at Level Three when, in communicate solely at Level Three when, in fact, people reason from Level One downwardfact, people reason from Level One downward

The failure to mobilize and move people, even The failure to mobilize and move people, even when conditions are otherwise ripe, can be when conditions are otherwise ripe, can be traced to the failure to develop a clear master traced to the failure to develop a clear master frame utilizing the appropriate valuesframe utilizing the appropriate values

Communications has to be a front—end activity; Communications has to be a front—end activity; post hoc communications (dissemination) is a post hoc communications (dissemination) is a weak, if not, harmful modelweak, if not, harmful model

The Tension Between Social The Tension Between Social Change and PhilanthropyChange and Philanthropy

Commitment to Change?Commitment to Change?

Generally conservative nature of corporate Generally conservative nature of corporate boardsboards

Willingness to work with other community Willingness to work with other community stakeholders in meaningful ways?stakeholders in meaningful ways?

What does being a good corporate citizen What does being a good corporate citizen really mean?really mean?

Can you be a change agent and keep your Can you be a change agent and keep your job?job?

How do you connect corporate How do you connect corporate philanthropy and HQ to social change?philanthropy and HQ to social change?

Strategies for ChangeStrategies for Change

Build communities of interest, both Build communities of interest, both within and outside of corporate within and outside of corporate philanthropyphilanthropy

Reveal to senior management the Reveal to senior management the short-sightedness of crisis philanthropy short-sightedness of crisis philanthropy and the value of leveraging public willand the value of leveraging public will

Don’t be afraid to talk valuesDon’t be afraid to talk values Act with intentionality and disciplineAct with intentionality and discipline

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