Engaging Supporters as Advocates and Activists
Through Grassroots Organizing

What is Grassroots Organizing?
Grassroots organizing is a powerful instrument for change while engaging your organization’s supporters and volunteers. It is how ordinary citizens become involved in the democratic process and have an impact.  Its tools are many, ranging from door-to-door canvassing to lobbying local school boards, from letter writing to media campaigns.  Grassroots organizing places power in the hands of people, enabling them to shape their community, its policies, priorities, and services.

Why Organize?
Organizers and organizations across the nation have been harnessing the power of grassroots organizing to advance social change for decades, resulting in significant achievements, both socially and legislatively.  Grassroots organizing has evolved like never before and is now truly center stage in American politics. Thousands of organizations in cities and towns across the country, represented by millions of individuals, are using grassroots organizing tools to gain political power and effect long-lasting social change.

Persistent and effective organizing shows results. It keeps an organization connected to the community, accessible to new participants, and influential in the political arena. The following points underscore the potential impact of organizing:

• Grassroots organizing transforms people into power. This power can only be realized when people are encouraged to stand up and be counted? at rallies, on petitions, and in the eyes of elected officials and policy makers.
• Reaching beyond committed supporters is key. Organizing that seeks out new participants has a greater chance of success and long-term survival.
• Grassroots organizing is a continuous process — and an investment.
• Grassroots organizing alters the relations of power because decision
  makers must consider you the next time around.

Organizing Tips
While every grassroots organizing effort is unique, there are some rules of thumb that can help keep you on track.

• Start with a solid foundation. Build a group with strong leadership, direction, and resources.
• Learn as you go. You don’t have to have prior experience to begin. Anyone with passion, commitment to reproductive freedom, and a spirit for teamwork can organize. Start by using what you know, and pick up new strategies along the way.
• Be patient. Your knowledge will grow while you become more involved in organizing. Tap into local resources for more information, and read up on the issues.
• Think ahead. Grassroots organizing works best through advance planning. A carefully constructed plan can mean the difference between achieving your goals and missing them.
• Stay focused. It is tempting to work on everything at once. The most effective groups are those that prioritize goals, remain focused on achieving them, and use their resources wisely.
• Make it easy for people to get involved. Find simple and specific ways volunteers can voice their support and take action.
• Keep it fresh. Always look for new ways to become better organized.
• Stick with it. Grassroots organizing is tough but incredibly rewarding. Think of immediate organizing tasks as building blocks, and always keep the ultimate goal in mind.
• Never give up. Organizing setbacks are temporary. When challenges to your organizing efforts and the issue seem daunting, work to increase your base of support and develop more action plans.

You don’t need to be a professional organizer to create change in your community.  In fact, you have a built in network of activists in your audience at every performance!  Remember to always add an “action” or advocacy component to all you do.

Create an area on your website where supporters can take action.  Make sure your website has information about current advocacy campaigns and funding issues you are working on.

Send e-mails to supporters to keep them involved in not just your calendar of events but your issues.  If you keep your supporters informed, they are more likely to take action when asked.  Make sure to ask them to e-mail or call their legislator to voice their support of dance.

Start a postcard campaign.  At each performance or outreach event, make sure to have pre-printed postcards addressed to a decision-maker (state legislator, Senator, etc.) that can be filled out by your supporters.  Collect these postcards and present them on one of your lobby visits.

Cell phone call in nights.  Ask supporters to bring their cell phones to an event then have information on how they can make a call to a decision maker on behalf of your advocacy issue.  Make sure to have the contact information available as well as talking points for the caller to follow.

Online petitions.  Ask supporters to go online to fill out a petition in support of your campaign.  Be sure to share these numbers with legislators as you go on lobby visits.

Lobby visits or Lobby Days.  Legislators work for the voters.  It is their job to listen to our concerns and be available to their constituents.  Talk to legislators about your issue and be sure to focus on stories of how your contribution to the community makes a difference.

Visibility events.  Visibility events are designed to build issue awareness.  They are organized in well-trafficked areas that will receive extensive attention, even with a small group of demonstrators.  During these demonstrations, activists along a road hold up a series of signs that successively spell out a message about the issue at hand to be read by passing motorists — based on a billboard advertising strategy used by Burma Shave in years past.  They have proven to be an effective tactic for garnering earned media, engaging activists and spreading the word our issues to the general public.

Phonebanking.  During the phonebanking sessions, we will provide participants with a list of local supporters and a phone script.  The goal is to educate supporters around the key issue and ask them to join the online list serve.  Participants have noted that while they thought this would be one of the hardest activities to conduct, many have been surprised by the influence they have had on the supporters they have spoken with during their calls.

IT’S ALL ABOUT NUMBERS!
Power is about showing public support for your issue through the size of your list, the number of calls made, number of petition signatures, or the amount of media coverage for your campaign.

Make sure to have an advocacy component to all of your efforts – newsletters, e-mails, solicitations, performances, workshops, or community events.

Created by Jordan Fitzgerald for Dance/USA, February 2006