Cultivating a community of skilled social change communicators in CSO across Indonesia
A proposal to support Suluh Penggugah, the school and community of practitioners for changemakers specializing in communication
Table of content
(Click to go to the section)
(Click to go to the section)
We made innovations in communication capacity building for CSOs and saw encouraging signs
Most CSOs in Indonesia strive to effect systemic change and become sustainable organizations with diversified funding streams. Both goals can be achieved through effective communication to garner support from the public or other stakeholders, including funders.
However, despite CSO leaders publicly stating how important communication is, it’s still treated as an afterthought in practice. This is evident in the limited financial allocations for communication activities, the relative lack of authority of staff in charge of communication, and how behindhand communication plans are initiated for CSO activities. As a consequence, the effectiveness of CSOs' strategic communication is often put into question.
Much effort has been made to strengthen the strategic communication capacity among CSO staff, but satisfactory results are reportedly rare. Various issues contribute to this shortfall, such as limited access to training in remote areas, distractions leading to a lack of focus during sessions, and skepticism among participants and CSO leaders regarding the usefulness of the training. They may perceive training programs organized by donors as “another donor-mandated task” that won't apply to the culture of their respective organizations.
Therefore, in 2023, we launched Suluh Penggugah as a “dojo” to upgrade skills, build a community of practitioners, and provide a platform for the communication tribe within CSOs. Not only will the alumni community become a peer-support network, but it will also eventually improve the effectiveness of CSOs’ strategic communication.
We observed encouraging signs that Suluh Penggugah helped the alumni and their organizations achieve their programs’ goals. We’d like to continue this initiative as the needs remain, but we need your support to make this happen.
Much effort has been made to strengthen the strategic communication capacity among CSO staff, but satisfactory results are reportedly rare. Various issues contribute to this shortfall, such as limited access to training in remote areas, distractions leading to a lack of focus during sessions, and skepticism among participants and CSO leaders regarding the usefulness of the training. They may perceive training programs organized by donors as “another donor-mandated task” that won't apply to the culture of their respective organizations.
Therefore, in 2023, we launched Suluh Penggugah as a “dojo” to upgrade skills, build a community of practitioners, and provide a platform for the communication tribe within CSOs. Not only will the alumni community become a peer-support network, but it will also eventually improve the effectiveness of CSOs’ strategic communication.
We observed encouraging signs that Suluh Penggugah helped the alumni and their organizations achieve their programs’ goals. We’d like to continue this initiative as the needs remain, but we need your support to make this happen.
A school and a community of lifetime learners who support each other
The expected outcome of Suluh Penggugah goes beyond increased individual capacity to create a community of practitioners whose members support each other. Therefore, we designed Suluh Penggugah to be an end-to-end upskilling experience beyond the usual classroom-based training:
Suluh Penggugah is cohort-based
This means that in Suluh Penggugah, participants must go through accumulated learning stages together. They have the same schedule and must meet the same deadlines.
The goal is to connect the learners and keep them motivated to complete the learning in a scheduled time. This approach also compels students to collaborate with individuals of diverse backgrounds, fostering the development of a bond among them. Lastly, the approach will also help close the knowledge gap among the participants because they can learn from each other.
The goal is to connect the learners and keep them motivated to complete the learning in a scheduled time. This approach also compels students to collaborate with individuals of diverse backgrounds, fostering the development of a bond among them. Lastly, the approach will also help close the knowledge gap among the participants because they can learn from each other.
Staff from CSOs voluntarily enroll as individuals
We realize that not everyone wants to take a long and perilous learning journey. Therefore, unlike the conventional approach, where the invitation to enroll in a capacity-building program goes to organizations whose leaders will assign which staff will attend, Suluh drives individuals (read: staff of CSOs) to register for the program voluntarily. They need only show a written statement from their organizations' leaders that they work there and get approval to enroll.
The self-driven approach attracts individuals who are genuinely interested in the opportunity. We wanted to reinforce the idea that membership in the learning community is earned and not taken for granted, so participants who register are likely to have a strong sense of responsibility to themselves.
The self-driven approach attracts individuals who are genuinely interested in the opportunity. We wanted to reinforce the idea that membership in the learning community is earned and not taken for granted, so participants who register are likely to have a strong sense of responsibility to themselves.
Suluh Penggugah combines in-person and online learning
The school starts with an onboarding in-person session
Suluh Penggugah starts with an in-person three-night-and-two-day session. One goal is facilitating community among participants, so we organize team-building activities. The other goal is to provide participants with two foundational skills, i.e., better brainstorming techniques and messaging basics to gain support.
Participants will continue learning from recorded online lessons and live mentoring sessions
After the onboarding session, participants return to their homes and work. In the next stage, they will take a series of self-paced online classes of their choosing. Participants can choose between Storytelling with Data or Effective Presentation classes, and they can add Basics of Expository Writing as a supplementary class.
We use this approach because we want to give them flexibility in learning and reach participants outside Jakarta. Nevertheless, participants still must submit weekly assignments on the same deadlines to progress to the subsequent lessons. To help them, we organize monthly live online mentoring with instructors.
We use this approach because we want to give them flexibility in learning and reach participants outside Jakarta. Nevertheless, participants still must submit weekly assignments on the same deadlines to progress to the subsequent lessons. To help them, we organize monthly live online mentoring with instructors.
The last stage is an advanced in-person class
After completing the online classes, participants are invited to attend another in-person session. Here, participants can choose the more advanced communication skills, i.e. Campaign for Social Change or Brand Building for Non-Profit Organizations.
Suluh Penggugah gives grants to top alumni to apply their skills
At the end of the first-year program of Suluh Penggugah, we gave four grants to four top-performing participants to apply the lessons they learned in class in real-life situations. Each grantee is currently in the proposal writing process and will continue to do their movement until mid-2024. We aim to make alumni grants a focal part of Suluh Penggugah in the future and concentrate the grantmaking on communication activities.
We facilitate the formation of an alumni community
After graduation, we gather the Suluh Penggugah alumni in an online platform, where they will further their learning through activities we organize or they initiate. This platform will be the communication hub where alumni can and will trade information, share their experiences, and collaborate among themselves in future projects.
Suluh Penggugah first year sparks enthusiasm and skill uplift
We held the first academic year of Suluh Penggugah in 2023, and it has been giving positive signals so far. What started as a high-risk experiment was a complete up-skill experience for its participants.
Suluh Penggugah received high enthusiasm from the beginning. We initiated this program by extending invitations to 172 organizations that are the grantees of the Ford Foundation, along with an open invitation to the grantees of Luminate and other CSO staff. This process resulted in 101 registrants from the Ford Foundation grantees and 51 registrants outside. Ultimately, after the selection process, Suluh Penggugah enrolled 76 participants.
The bond established during the onboarding session persisted and seemed beneficial during online classes. Students actively reached out to each other to discuss how to complete their assignments, exchange notes, and share lessons. This suggests that investing in that session to cultivate a sense of belonging gave a good return.
The outcomes surpassed our initial expectations, with 48 out of 76 participants, constituting 63% of the total cohort, completing the asynchronous classes. Participants also stated that they find the process valuable and engaging because they put the skills into practice during the online learning process to achieve their organization's agenda.
During the second in-person class, participants actively used the techniques they learned in the onboarding session, specifically better brainstorming and logical thinking methods. Some of the students said this was because they had also been practicing the techniques at work.
Suluh Penggugah received high enthusiasm from the beginning. We initiated this program by extending invitations to 172 organizations that are the grantees of the Ford Foundation, along with an open invitation to the grantees of Luminate and other CSO staff. This process resulted in 101 registrants from the Ford Foundation grantees and 51 registrants outside. Ultimately, after the selection process, Suluh Penggugah enrolled 76 participants.
The bond established during the onboarding session persisted and seemed beneficial during online classes. Students actively reached out to each other to discuss how to complete their assignments, exchange notes, and share lessons. This suggests that investing in that session to cultivate a sense of belonging gave a good return.
The outcomes surpassed our initial expectations, with 48 out of 76 participants, constituting 63% of the total cohort, completing the asynchronous classes. Participants also stated that they find the process valuable and engaging because they put the skills into practice during the online learning process to achieve their organization's agenda.
During the second in-person class, participants actively used the techniques they learned in the onboarding session, specifically better brainstorming and logical thinking methods. Some of the students said this was because they had also been practicing the techniques at work.
We have real-life stories of change from Suluh Penggugah participants
Click to read
Two of the participants who demonstrated the application of the knowledge gained from the classes were Warniati from Lembaga Perlindungan Anak Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat (LPA NTB) and Yulidar from Himpunan Wanita Disabilitas Indonesia (HWDI).
Yulidar was one of the students who rarely skipped the chance to join the online discussion with the instructor for her class. She shared that her presentation during the Effective Presentation classes had convinced her village government to allocate village funds to assist people with disabilities.
Warniati stated that she shared her knowledge from the training with her peers to discuss how to handle the ongoing problems they must solve. One was related to the horse-racing tradition in NTB. LPA NTB observed that children were often employed as jockeys in the races, making them prone to safety risks and exploitation. LPA NTB has consistently advocated with the provincial government to establish regulations to raise the age limit of jockeys at horse racing arenas.
When they recently had the opportunity to meet and present their case to government representatives, Warniati applied the lessons she learned in the Effective Presentation class to deliver a compelling presentation. While changes to the regulations had not materialized yet at the time of this writing, she expressed a heightened sense of confidence after delivering a more effective presentation than before attending the class.
Warniati also stated that she conducted irregular meetings with her fellow CSO staff and activists from other organizations to share the knowledge she had gained from the classes. This extended the learning from Suluh Penggugah to people who hadn’t had the chance to learn.
Yulidar was one of the students who rarely skipped the chance to join the online discussion with the instructor for her class. She shared that her presentation during the Effective Presentation classes had convinced her village government to allocate village funds to assist people with disabilities.
Warniati stated that she shared her knowledge from the training with her peers to discuss how to handle the ongoing problems they must solve. One was related to the horse-racing tradition in NTB. LPA NTB observed that children were often employed as jockeys in the races, making them prone to safety risks and exploitation. LPA NTB has consistently advocated with the provincial government to establish regulations to raise the age limit of jockeys at horse racing arenas.
When they recently had the opportunity to meet and present their case to government representatives, Warniati applied the lessons she learned in the Effective Presentation class to deliver a compelling presentation. While changes to the regulations had not materialized yet at the time of this writing, she expressed a heightened sense of confidence after delivering a more effective presentation than before attending the class.
Warniati also stated that she conducted irregular meetings with her fellow CSO staff and activists from other organizations to share the knowledge she had gained from the classes. This extended the learning from Suluh Penggugah to people who hadn’t had the chance to learn.
We need your support for the next academic year of Suluh Penggugah
If you find Suluh Penggugah to contribute to the strengthening of civil society in Indonesia and want this initiative to reach more changemakers, we will provide various options for you:
Supporting the overall Suluh Penggugah classes
If you want to improve the communication ecosystem within the CSOs in Indonesia, you could contribute by funding the whole program. This will give support to a plethora of organizations, especially your organization's grantees. Your contribution could be up to 353 million rupiahs to open the class for up to 50 CSO staff members.
Activities
Cost (IDR)
Participant registration and selection
Onboarding: 4-day in-person sessions
6 months of online classes
Advanced class and graduation: 4-day in-person sessions
Onboarding: 4-day in-person sessions
6 months of online classes
Advanced class and graduation: 4-day in-person sessions
70,312,500
91,575,000
60,045,291
130,512,500
91,575,000
60,045,291
130,512,500
Total
352,445,290
Supporting the program by giving individual scholarships
If you want to improve the capacity building for your own CSO partners or grantees, you could pay their tuition fees so they can join the program. The contribution you could give would be IDR 17,3 million per participant.
Activities
Cost (IDR)
Onboarding: 4-day in-person sessions
6 months of online classes
Advanced class and graduation: 4-day in-person sessions
Total per participants
Total per 5 participants
Total per 10 participants
6 months of online classes
Advanced class and graduation: 4-day in-person sessions
Total per participants
Total per 5 participants
Total per 10 participants
7,100,000
3,100,000
7,100,000
3,100,000
7,100,000
17,300,000
86,500,000
173,000,000
86,500,000
173,000,000
Supporting the grant fund for the grantmaking program
If you want to contribute to the yearly program's tail end, you could give grants to Suluh Penggugah's best performers. In doing so, we allow them to implement their new skills to advance their organization's agenda. Donors should contribute a minimum of IDR 75 million per grant for one participant.
Activities
Cost (IDR)
Grant for one participant
Project management
Total for one grant
Total for two grants
Total for three grants
Project management
Total for one grant
Total for two grants
Total for three grants
75,000,000
7,500,000
82,500,000
165,000,000
247,500,000
7,500,000
82,500,000
165,000,000
247,500,000
Supporting the alumni activation
By activating the alumni of Suluh Penggugah, the participants can have a platform to share knowledge and resources. This initiative provides a valuable space where alumni can collaborate, share insights, and leverage collective expertise. Donors can contribute up to IDR 197 million for a one-year-long alumni activation.
Activities
Cost (IDR)
Alumni activation strategies and materials
Activities to activate alumni
Alumni Thinkific platform maintenance
Support fund for event proposed by the alumni
Activities to activate alumni
Alumni Thinkific platform maintenance
Support fund for event proposed by the alumni
34,812,500
45,437,500
16,125,000
100,000,000
45,437,500
16,125,000
100,000,000
Total
196,375,000
The timeline for your consideration
Activities 2024
Date
Commissioned
Participant registration & selection
Conduct the onboarding classes
Conduct the async-sync classes
Participant registration & selection
Conduct the onboarding classes
Conduct the async-sync classes
May - June 2024
July 2024
August 2024
August 2024 - March 2025
April 2025
July 2024
August 2024
August 2024 - March 2025
April 2025
Conduct the offboarding classes
Thank you
