Martin Skadal: How to professionalize your activism, while staying true to your core principles
Written by: Martin Skadal
Many people ask me how I get to do full time activism and make a living at the same time. I often ask myself these questions as well, as it’s a pretty interesting and weird situation to be in. Therefore I have now cooperated with The Canada Files to give you a better insight on how it’s possible to make a living, and to spend all your time working to help protect nature, animal rights and/or human rights.
The first tip I can give, is to give value to the world - and don’t expect anything back. I sincerely mean this. My insight is that it’s important to have your values aligned with your actions. If you right off the bat are thinking about how to get money while doing this altruistic type of work, then this work might not be suitable for you. You need to build a foundation by giving a lot of value, before it comes back. If you focus on altruistic work instead of worrying about making money, I think you have a higher chance at succeeding in your work. In practice, this means that in whatever altruistic work you want to do, make sure to go fully in with the values close to your heart. Work for animal rights if that’s what you truly believe in, and not climate justice just because more people seem to care about that. You’re needed where you thrive.
When you have aligned your altruistic work with your values and you're ready to give without expecting to get anything back, then you're ready to receive my second tip. Go all in - increase your chances of professionalizing your activism by getting out there and putting in the work! Volunteer for as many organizations as you can within the field you have a passion for. Be true to yourself and on how much time you actually have. Don’t say yes to many projects just because somebody wrote in an article that you should join as many organizations as you can - be realistic.
This is the time you will start making a name for yourself in the community, so be honest. Do not end up as one who “says yes to everything, but never delivers results”. There are already many activists who are like that. As the leader of the nonprofit organization World Saving Hustle, people often come to me with good spirits, wanting to do something. Unfortunately, a lot of them don't deliver on their promises. To be honest, that is also one of the things I’m trying to figure out how to handle. Give me a shout if you know!
Third, is to know how you can get funding for what you do. For me, most of my funding is through a crowdfunding page called Patreon. This is a typical place where people like me go, when asking the public for money support to support us as activists. I have around 100 people supporting me each month with around $500 in total - it’s not much, but as a minimalist it’s good enough.
Holding speeches is the second option. To get to this level, you usually need a lot of experience to start doing it on a scale which is good. Therefore, a good tip is to start doing many free speeches. This is to get your name out there, and gain experience to become a good public speaker.
My third tip is to apply for different funding sources; from your local community, organizations, government, banks and so on. If you reach this level, then feel free to contact The Canada Files or me directly, and I will gladly help you 1-1 in how to go further on. Cooperation might be the best way to get funding from bigger programs, especially if you are new in the game.
Lastly, be open to change. The world we live in can change fast. Just look at COVID-19 and what it has done to our lives. If it continues like this, having public speeches might not even be a thing - but if you do them online, then it can work. However, make sure to be open in the sense that this might not be what you should spend your time on. Maybe you should focus your time on being a doctor, CEO, full time dad, writer, graphic designer, personal assistant to an activist… or something else! And be fair with yourself, this is YOUR life. YOU decide what you want to do! And if you say you can’t, you can at least choose how to react to what happens to you in life. Good luck!
Fact box about me:
- 24y, living in Norway
- Half asian and half Norwegian
- Entrepreneur, public speaker, activist & green influencer
- Currently the CEO of World Saving Hustle and board member of multiple environmental organizations
Fact box about WSH:
- Nonprofit organization, founded in 2017 by Martin Skadal.
- Funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency
- Over 400 members and 44 chapters worldwide
- Works to protect nature, animals and humans
- Three main focus areas: Self Care, Education and Action.
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