general concepts in grassroots campaign organizing

8/14/2019 General Concepts in Grassroots Campaign Organizing

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Organizing for CauseOrganizing for Cause

[email protected]


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Overview of What Well DoOverview of What Well Do

Part 1: Campaign Basics

Who is this guy? What has he workedon?

Quick! We need to launch a campaign!

Power and Oppression

Campaign planning logic

Things you need for a good campaign

10 minute break!


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Reeds Activist BackgroundReeds Activist Background

In high school At school: Environment, GSA, Amnesty

Intl

Around town: Anti-war, RYAN

In undergrad Students Against Sweatshops

Feminist groups Climate Action

Since then Greenpeace Stop Global Warming

Buffalo Prison Abuse Project


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POWER and OPPRESSIONPOWER and OPPRESSION

Who has power in society?How can people who dont have power

get power?Your campaign will hopefully empower

peopleAnti-Oppression Work

Even within your campaign, oppressivethings might happen

Get anti-oppression training to talk aboutit

Caucuses: Groups of oppressed peopleet a chance to discuss thin s to ether


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Campaign Planning LogicCampaign Planning Logic

Example: Buffalo Prisoner Abuse ProjectGoal

Increase the quality of life of prisoners

Reinstate Community Board

Strategies Media and Visibility

Change County Legislature policy

Tactics Weekly televised protests

Presence at County Legislature meetings


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StrategiesStrategies

Media Reaches a wide audience, can make

targets uncomfortable to be on thenews

If your story isnt interesting, they wontcome

Visibility

Take it to the streets! (Or the cafeteria!) Hang a banner on the bridge!

Make a YouTube video go viral!

Messages from the People

Petitions, postcards, lobby visits


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SMART TacticsSMART Tactics

Strategic Its gotta fit with your strategy

Measurable How will you know if your hard work

worked?

Actionable Weve had climbing training, so we can

scale the wall Realistic

Can you really afford a hot air balloon? Timely

Have to promote the candidate before the

election


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GROW ChartGROW Chart

Goals Strategies

Tactics

Audience Who are you trying to appeal to?

Allies

Who will work with you?

Enemies Who will work against you

Targets

Who is the person(s) that can make thechange


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Target: Power MappingTarget: Power Mapping

Who & what matters to this target?

How do you have access to this target?

Target

Power in their position

Financially

Who is influential

Personal Life


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Campaign TimelineCampaign Timeline

Work backwards!

When will you accomplish your goal?

What are the things you need to dobefore then?

Escalate pressure!

Ask the principal for a meeting in writing

before you stage a sit-in demandingone

Arrests are a big deal, should be lastresort


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Things that make a goodThings that make a good

campaigncampaign Passion

Its going to take work, gotta be into it

Recruit

Power in numbers, and more work can getdone

Teamwork and Ownership Nobody likes the campaign know-it-all/hog

Delegate tasks!

Good meetings Follow-Through!

Do what you said you would

Messaging


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RecruitmentRecruitment

In person! People are going to come to a first

meeting if theyve met you before

Called to remind themOnline

Emails, facebook notifications

Events Go to related events and get sign-ups

Fliers Impersonal, but can be effective


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Teamwork and OwnershipTeamwork and Ownership

Invite others to take part If you are the president, and you always

will be the president, and you only likeyour ideas, why would anyone keep

coming?Delegating tasks is SO important

Even just attendance-taker, have a role

Ask people what they are interested in,dont assume

Build leaders Encourage people to take on more

leadership

Do leadershi trainin , romote eo le


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Good MeetingsGood Meetings

Facilitation Get training in meeting facilitation

Agendas, stack, digressions, men dont hog thediscussion!

Dont let meetings drag on and on

Ground rules

Step up/Step back, Oops and Ouch etc

Consensus vs Majority Consensus: all opinions heard, all agree

Thumbs up/down, spirit fingers

Majority: enough of us agree, too bad for therest


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Follow ThroughFollow Through

Do what you can, but dont take on toomuch

Missing an important step can slow it alldown

At the end of a meeting

Go over list of action steps/tasks

At the beginning of a meeting Review list, check-in on who has done

what


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MessagingMessaging

Whats the message that will motivatepeople to join your cause?

Tailor your message to your audience: Scientists vs Everyone else

Students vs. Grandparents

Volunteers vs Targets

One-liners and short-stories Eg. Protect the Heritage of the

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge --For Our Families, For Our Future.

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