Community Organizing 101 - How to Create an Effective Grassroots Campaign

Start with the general problem you're working on - A PROBLEM is a negative condition that people in your community are experiencing. A problem is always very general, affects several people or groups of people and if asked, most people will agree that it is a problem.

Examples of problems include: Crime on the streets,unemployment, substandard housing conditions.

Next, choose an issue that you're going to work on. An ISSUE is winnable or loseable. It is specific, relates to the problem, but not everyone is going to agree on it.

Examples of issues include: For the police and city to provide afternoon and evening youth programs and specialized activities for kids who are either gang members or are vulnerable to joining a gang.

The next step is to conduct research about the problem that is going to strengthen your case, and help you figure out who your adversaries are, and develop your tactics. (For example, what time do most crimes occur that involve gangs or the youth of the ages you're targeting. Who is being arrested? How many youth are at-risk in your community?)

Now decide what your Recomendations/Requests (demands) are. RECOMMENDATIONS/DEMANDS are the specific requests you're going to make that will address or solve the problem. Demands mist be specific and measurable so that everyone will know when you've achieved your goal or won your issue.

Examples of demands or recommendations could be: Demand that the city and police budgets include specific activities for gang members as well as non-gang members. Demand that the city include youth representatives from the community to participate in planning and organizing activities.

Next determine who your Advesaries/Enemies/Targets are. ADVERSARIES are the people who have the power to make changes on your issues or the problem, but are probably going to have objections. (You'll need to make a plan to overcome those objections in order to win - so the more information and research you can gather in the beginning, the better your chances are.)

The next step is to determine who your Friends and supporters are. FRIENDS are the people, groups, organizations and businesses you can count on to be on your side and supportive of your issues or who are working on the problem also. Figure out how closely they need to be involved (or will want to be involved) in working on this issue. Put together several different action plans requiring different levels of commitment and involvement. For example, a simple action could be to start a letter writing or petition campaign. People only have to write a letter (or sign onto one that's already been drafted), or sign their name onto a petition to show support. Create other actions with increasingly more involved levels of support, and put together all of the necessary materials, background information and resources that will be needed. To be effective you need to make it as simple to get involved as possible, and have something to do for each level of action you choose to have available.

Note: Whatever action you choose to take, make sure that it's within the experience of the people who are working on the issue. That's not to say that it has to be inside their comfort zone - it doesn't. But whatever action you take needs to be at their level of ability and capability, and they need to be invested in the success of the issue and of the problem.

Once you understand the problem, have your issue and your volunteers have decided on a course of action and developed a project (grassroots campaign), it's the VISTA Volunteer or Project Manager's responsibility to see that it's carried out. Not to do all the work yourself - but oversee the details and make sure that everything is staying on track.