metrics
- 1,500
- Volunteers Engaged
- 100K+
- Petitions Signed
- 50K+
- Supporters Recruited
The challenge: Equipping digital innovation to union advocacy
Fair workers’ rights: That’s what FNV, a Dutch trade union, is all about. Their team dedicates their time and efforts to securing better working conditions, fair wages, and a secure future for workers. With the Netherlands experiencing a widening gap between the rich and poor workers, they noticed economic inadequacies were worsened by deficient minimum wages.
Building a movement from the ground up, FNV conceived an idea for a campaign as a standalone initiative aimed at securing a substantial increase in the minimum wage to €14 per hour. To achieve this ambitious goal, they needed a digital platform that could engage and mobilise new and existing supporters, organise their advocacy efforts, and turn support into tangible action; influencing political stakeholders effectively. To achieve all of this, their campaign to build a labour movement came to life.
“We were starting the movement from the ground up. From very poor neighborhoods, getting in-person with people, going door-to-door, gaining contact info - from there we were building up a database. The database function for NationBuilder is quite good to keep it all manageable”
- Kevin Harkema, FNV Communication Advisor
The solution: Expanding support for economic justice
FNV brought in the experts at Tectonica, a digital agency and NationBuilder Architect, to run their campaign, Voor14, on NationBuilder. Together, they crafted compelling web pages designed to inspire community involvement and prompt action effortlessly. They organised in-person events and virtual meetings to connect with community members and explain the importance of wage increases.
People united and floods of activity grew. Within just a week of launching their petition to raise the minimum wage, FNV doubled their database, going from 7K to 20K recruited supporters. Through their organising efforts, FNV mobilised 1,500 dedicated volunteers online, who played critical roles in advocacy and outreach efforts. The use of customisable tags and filters equipped their virtual organising team to share information effectively and segment supporters by different demographics such as location, engagement level, and interests. This made it easy for the trade union to send supporters personalised outreach and targeted digital communication.
As workers made purpose-fueled connections with union leaders through email, social media campaigns, and their interactive website, FNV collected over 100K+ online petition signatures on their NationBuilder web page calling on the government to raise the minimum wage. This campaign rallied a surge in support that expanded their overall base from 5,000 to an amazing 50,000+ recruited supporters with a significant portion actively engaging in campaign activities. And the united front of collective action provided the compelling data to mark a pivotal moment in their advocacy efforts toward economic justice.
The impact: Using data to influence policy and secure fair wages
Executing a multi-faceted strategy, FNV was able to collaborate with local political parties and candidates, using data to inform and influence policy discussions. Political support for the wage increase surged, with parliamentary seats backing the cause and committed to raising the €14 minimum wage. FNV’s success with the Voor 14 campaign exemplifies the power of digital organising in driving social and political change. By harnessing NationBuilder’s capabilities, they not only expanded their reach and influence but also made substantial progress towards achieving fairer wages for all workers in the Netherlands.
As they head into 2024, their team is focused on a new campaign, 'voor een beter bestaan, 60% mediaan' (for a better existence, 60% median), aimed at implementing a new Minimum Wage Action (WML) by November 15, 2024. Due to agreements in Europe, the Netherlands must ensure that the minimum wage is adequate and automatically rises with all other wages. While Europe suggests 60% of the median wage as a fair ratio, the Dutch minister does not support this, which has intensified FNV's efforts. Building off of their previous campaign, they already have 10,000+ new recruited supporters and over 10,000+ petition signatures. Equipped with NationBuilder, FNV is optimistic about the future and confident in their continued ability to drive significant social and economic change.
Inspired by FNV's story and ready to build your own movement? Get in touch with the NationBuilder team at a live demo to discover your organisation's potential. Or started a 14-day free trial to start your journey towards effective advocacy and community building.
