Making Plans and Taking Action

• Recruit individuals
• Build a coalition of organizations
• Get organized
• Conduct a power analysis
• Identify targets
• Choose tools and tactics
• Get people engaged and motivated
• Negotiate and secure your demands
• Celebrate victories and analyze actions

Recruiting individuals back to top

Anyone connected-directly or indirectly-is a potential recruit for an organizing campaign. You usually begin with people who are already working on the issue and those who have a direct personal stake. Also consider other members of the community who may support your effort.
You can conduct outreach in many ways:

• Visit organizations and community groups where people come together. Ask a member of the organization or group whom you or someone else involved in your effort knows to introduce you to key leaders and members.
• Knock on doors. It’s very time-consuming, but door knocking is a great way to make oneon-one contact with people. For how-to tips on going door to door, see “Door-Knocking” in Basics of Organizing: You Can’t Build a Machine Without Nuts and Bolts, available at http://www.tenant.net/Organize/orgbas.html.
• Establish a hotline. During the statewide campaign to pass racial-profiling data-collection legislation in California, advocates established a toll-free number for people to report incidents of racial profiling. The hotline became a tool for identifying participants for the Racial Justice Coalition, spokespersons to address the media and decision makers, and potential plaintiffs for lawsuits.
• Distribute flyers. Stand outside grocery stores, shopping malls, post offices, or any other venue that community members frequent. Hand out straightforward materials that present the issue in a compelling manner that people can relate to on both a practical and an emotional level, enough to want to do something about it.
• Host house meetings. People who are already part of the effort can invite friends and neighbors to a meeting at their home to talk about the issue, encourage them to join the effort, and maybe even take some action on the spot, such as writing a letter to the mayor or going out to knock on doors to recruit others.

Building a coalition of organizations back to top

Coalition building takes the organizing concept from individuals to organizations. There are both upsides and downsides to going this route: A broad-based coalition can add tremendous power to your effort, and decision-makers notice when organizations representing multiple constituencies they care about are unified behind a shared list of demands. It allows you to pool resources, skills, experience, contacts, strategies, and ideas for solutions; rarely does any one organization have everything in-house that‘s needed to conduct a successful organizing campaign. It can also give decision-makers added incentive to negotiate because they will be meeting the demands of a number of constituencies at once.
On the other hand, coalitions are time-consuming to build and maintain. Coalition decisionmaking can be slow and cumbersome, especially if those attending coalition meetings are unable to make decisions on their organizations’ behalf. There’s a risk that members will get frustrated and leave or be picked off by your opponents, thereby weakening the strength of your coalition.
Building a strong coalition increases the likelihood that your campaign will be successful and increases the long-term capacity of communities to bring about change. Many of the advocacy efforts described in this manual involve coalitions of varying sizes and ranges of constituencies.
In creating coalitions, consider:

• Whom will you recruit to join the coalition? Think broadly and diversely (and beyond the usual suspects):organizations representing constituencies affected by the issue, think tanks or other experts who can lend credibility to your demands, groups with large memberships that can be mobilized, organizations with media or lobbying experience and contacts, groups you have never worked with before or that were on the opposite side of another issue.
• What structure will you adopt? Coalitions can be structured with a range of formality or informality. Some are multi-issue, adopt a name, seek joint funding, and set up committees; others are more ad hoc or may comprise only a list of organizations on a letterhead. Avoid more structure than you need to get the job done.
• How will the coalition communicate? At regular meetings? By e-mail? With what frequency?
• How will it make decisions? Have a decision-making process that everyone agrees to at the outset; it will help to avoid later misunderstandings and conflicts. Put important decisions in writing.
• How will the coalition handle conflict? Tension and conflict are inherent in coalition work. Individual organizations have their own agendas, boards to report to, funders to please, and constituencies to which they are accountable. Issues can arise over targets and tactics, who is doing what work, and who is getting credit. Do not ignore these issues when they arise; manage them quickly and constructively to keep people’s eyes on the prize.
• How long will the coalition last? Coalitions can comprise long-term partners-organizations that share your long-term vision and are in it with you for the long haul-as well as short-term allies-organizations that are with you on the issue you have identified as your short-term objective but may not be on the next step of the journey. Most coalitions end after the short-term objective has been achieved, though they may be resurrected in whole or in part when another issue or incident emerges.

Getting organized back to top

For the outward activity of your organizing effort, there should be systematic, strategic, internal preparation and planning.

• What are you working toward? What is your long-term vision in your community? Short-term goals? Make sure you choose something early that is tangible, practical, and winnable in the short term that everyone can relate to and wants to be a part of achieving. How will you define interim and ultimate victories?
  For more on identifying problems and potential policy solutions, choosing issues, and developing an advocacy strategy, see the Getting Started section. See also “Identifying Issues” in Basics of Organizing: You Can’t Build a Machine Without Nuts and Bolts, available at http://www.tenant.net/Organize/orgbas.html. For more on defining victories, see “Building Power and Victories” in Dynamics of Organizing, http://www.tenant.net/Organize/orgdyn.html.
• Who will plan for meetings so that they are focused and move the effort forward? Who will craft the agenda? Who will facilitate the discussion at the meeting to make sure you start and end on time, stay (or at least quickly get back) on track, make space for everyone to participate, reach decisions on action items, and come up with concrete next steps? Who will take notes? Assign tasks? Hold people accountable? For tips on crafting agendas, setting goals, and conducting different types of meetings, see “Leadership Meeting,” “Public Meeting,” “Staff Meetings,” and “Organizational Retreats” in Basics of Organizing: You Can’t Build a Machine Without Nuts and Bolts, available at http://www.tenant.net/Organize/orgbas.html.

Conducting a power analysis back to top

Many individuals and institutions have influence in local communities, whether community-based, governmental, or private sector. Analyze who holds power-both formal and informal-in the community, as well as your own power to achieve your goals. Understanding the formal power structure tells you who is officially in charge; understanding the informal power structure lets you know the underlying reality of how things actually get done.

• What is the power structure in your community? Who has real power? Perceived power? Behind-the-scenes power or, as some would say, the power behind the throne?
• How is power exercised in the community? Through the mayor? City council? Other elected officials? Business community? Labor organizations? Clergy? Service providers? Specific neighborhood groups?
• Who has the power to give you what you want? How does that person relate to-or is influenced by-others in the power structure in your community?
• Who holds power in the community to organize an effective opposition? What is the existing organized opposition? Organized support? Is there unorganized potential you can tap?
• What will it take to build sufficient power to win the change you seek? Who needs to be involved? How can you get them involved? Through organizing? Coalition building? Networking?

For more on conducting a power analysis, see “Power Analysis” in Dynamics of Organizing, available at http://www.tenant.net/Organize/orgdyn.html; “Conduct a power analysis” in How-and why-to influence Public Policy: An Action Guide for Community Organizations, http://www.communitychange.org/publications/pubpolicy.htm; and “Power and Organizing,” available at http://www.grassrootspolicy.org/power.html.

Identifying targets back to top

Identify the individuals toward whom your actions will be directed. Targets are usually individuals, not organizations, because organizations do not make decisions; people do.

• Who are your primary targets? These are the people who have the power to give you what you want, to make the change you are calling for.
• Who are your secondary targets? Secondary targets are the people who can influence your primary target to take the actions you seek. The media are often an important secondary target, particularly when your primary target is an elected official.
• What can you learn about your targets before you take action? How have they behaved in the past? To whom do they respond? What will move them?

Choosing tools and tactics back to top

Decide what actions you will take to influence your targets. Different actions may be appropriate, depending upon the stage of your organizing effort, the responsiveness of your target, the interests of your partners and allies, and your collective power to carry out different activities.

• Pick an action you believe has some chance of success. Think through the implications of your actions for both short-term and long-term goals.
• Choose a range of tactics so that everyone can participate in the effort and feel that his or her contribution is worthwhile. Some people may be willing to picket a legislator’s home or be arrested at a sit-in; others will prefer attending a town hall meeting or writing a letter. Ideally, your first major action is one in which all can participate; otherwise, you may lose members of your group.
• Consider: Will people accept the tactic? Will it dramatize and build the issue? Will it throw your target off balance? Will it personalize your target, generating sympathy and thereby backfiring? Will it feel worthwhile? Will it get you closer to meaningful discussions to reach your goal? Will it get you to the bargaining table? These and other issues are discussed at length in “Strategy and Tactics” in Dynamics of Organizing, http://www.tenant.net/Organize/orgdyn.html.
• Depending on the issue you are working on and the willingness of individuals, some actions you might consider are staging a prayer vigil, hosting a town hall meeting, organizing a rally, scheduling a face-to-face meeting, engaging in direct action.

Keeping people engaged and motivated back to top

Making change is challenging, can have complex processes, and takes time. It requires maintaining continuity, momentum, and participation when the battle is long and your opponents are formidable and in it for the long haul. Keep people together and add more over time.

• Immediately connect people to action-no matter how small-and find ways for everyone to participate. Nothing is worse than being inspired to stand up for something you believe in then feeling that there’s nothing for you to do.
• Encourage people’s investment in the process and progress of the effort. Find ways to share leadership with participants. Make sure that credit is shared. Include training opportunities and leadership development in the organizing effort. Take opportunities to build a sense of community by breaking bread together on occasion and making the work fun.
• Keep people inspired. Include songs, chants, speeches, or prayers. Cast the issues and activities in the larger context. Link people to the legacy of a larger movement.
• Carefully balance between keeping people passionate-sometimes even angry-enough to stay involved and guarding against the frustration and disenchantment that nothing ever seems to change.
• Develop a plan for ongoing activism. Often advocacy efforts are sporadic: interest and activity will peak during a campaign, followed by a lull or complete absence of activity after public attention subsides. Use this time to collect additional facts, search for innovative solutions, secure new endorsements, and send periodic updates or news clippings to participants.
• Never stop recruiting; constantly build your organizing effort. Advocacy can be taxing work that burns people out. If people do not get a respite, they may leave the effort and need to be replaced.

Negotiating and securing your demands back to top

You rarely-if ever-get everything you demand. Have a plan for how and to what extent you will negotiate with decision makers.

• Know exactly what you want, your order of priorities, and where you draw your bottom line.
• Never be afraid to walk away if you have not been offered anything meaningful.
• Prepare carefully for negotiations. Assign a chief negotiator and supporting roles. Caucus with coalition members if necessary.

Always negotiate from an ongoing position of power. Negotiate only with persons who have the power to make decisions and reach agreement.

• Details matter. Negotiate the specifics. Get confirmation of agreements in writing.
• Keep your constituency informed. Make sure you are connected to their views and needs. Make all discussions and decisions as transparent as possible.

These and other negotiating tips are discussed in greater detail under “Negotiation” in Basics of Organizing: You Can’t Build a Machine Without Nuts and Bolts, available at http://www.tenant.net/Organize/orgbas.html.

Celebrating victories and analyzing actions back to top

It’s not enough to simply win; people must feel like winners.

• Take the time to celebrate the work you did and the people who helped you do it.
• Issue news releases announcing the importance of the progress you achieved.
• Analyze your efforts so that you can build on your achievements and integrate lessons learned into future efforts. What is the progress you made toward achieving your short-term and long-term goals? Were the goals you set achievable? Was the timetable realistic? Who joined your effort? Who that you thought would did not? Next time, how will you secure their participation? What did your opponents do that was unexpected? Could you have been better prepared? What did you do well? What could be improved next time? How did you fare with the media? How were you and your demands portrayed? Did you choose the best targets or the best tactics to reach them and affect their decisions?