How to build a sustainable grassroots resistance movement Jill Reese, The Alliance for a Jus1ce Society The Alliance for a Just Society’s mission is to execute local, state and na1onal campaigns and build strong affiliate organiza1ons and partnerships that address economic, racial, and social inequi1es. The Alliance is a na1onal network of 14 racial and economic jus1ce organiza1ons.
Strategies for Making Progressive Change • Direct action • c3 and c4 civic engagement and electoral strategies • Consistent dues paying membership outreach • Deep investment in leadership development • Power mapping for strategy development • Coalition building • State legislative work • On line organizing / engagement • Framing and strategic message development • Engagement with labor
Grassroots Organizing: Building and Challenging Power • Power rela1onships are unequal • In order to challenge power, you have to present a credible threat • We cannot compete in the realm of money • We must invest in organizing - building and developing a base of people who are consistently engaged in work • We must confront power directly
CoaliCons and CollaboraCons • Building coali1ons and collabora1ons are about building power • Coali1ons are built around a common goal • Collabora1ons are built around a specific issue • Permanent, temporary, single or mul1-issue, geographically defined, limited to certain cons1tuencies
Some QuesCons to Consider Who is behind the coaliCon? What’s your organizaCon’s self-interest? How can your members parCcipate? What is the decision making structure? How will parCcipaCon build your organizaCon?
Benefits of Structured Alignment • Win what couldn’t be won alone • Build an ongoing power base • Increase the impact of individual organiza1ons’ efforts • Develop new leaders • Increase resources • Broaden scope
Common Challenges • Distracts from other work • Weak members can’t deliver • Too many compromises • Inequality of power • Individual organiza1ons may not get credit • Dull tac1cs • Messaging by consensus
Principles for Success ✓ Clear staffing roles, whether hired or contributed ✓ Choose unifying issues ✓ Develop a realis1c coali1on budget ✓ Understand and respect ins1tu1onal self-interest ✓ Agree to disagree ✓ Be strategic with tac1cs ✓ Recognize that contribu1ons vary ✓ Structure decision-making carefully ✓ Help organiza1ons to achieve their self-interest ✓ Achieve significant victories ✓ Urge stable, senior board representa1ves ✓ Clarify decision-making procedures ✓ Distribute credit fairly
Power Analysis Our assump1ons include: 1. POWER rela1onships are unequal right now and this is key to why we have the problem / issue that we are working on. 2. POWER is being exercised and there is an agenda at work. 3. A more systema1c way of understanding POWER and how it is exercised is necessary to making long term social change.
Power Analysis We use this tool to map out current power relationships and to then think through: • how to shift those relationships to increase our power • how to move groups with power to our agenda • ultimately, how to shift the power relationships to pressure decision-makers to concede
Power Analysis Strategic Power Analysis: Analysis of the political landscape of a defined region including key problems, conditions, strategic decision-making centers, major battles, primary opposition forces, organized progressive forces (actual/potential), and important unorganized social groups. 11
STEPS TO O DEVELOP LOP A STRATEGI GIC POLI OLITICAL L LA LAND NDSCAPE POWE OWER ANA NALY LYSIS STEP 2: 2: Sketch the Competing ndas . The ng Ag Agend agenda of the forces who are causing or perpetuating the problems, and your agenda (i.e. the conditions you want to bring about) 10 10 STEP 1: 1: Define the major economic, STEP 3: 3: Sketch the major centers of Decisive ve Decision n political, and/or social Cond ns which are nditions Power over the problem Decision-m n-making ng Po making ng Po Power or Inf nflue uenc nce negatively impacting primary constituencies conditions State Legislatur ure 8 8 Ac Active ve Board of Sup Bo upervi visors Pa Participant nt in n Could be economic conditions such as poverty, unemployment - social Decision-m n-making ng conditions such as discrimination, persecution - political conditions such as disenfranchisement - or a combination of all the above. City Counc uncil STEP 8: 8: Analyze picture 6 6 Po Power to ha have ve (strengths/weaknesses, Major Inf nflue uenc nce decision-m n-making ng organizing opportunities, etc.) STEP 4: 4: Sketch Major Issue ue/ STEP 5: 5: Battles related to problem Policy Ba Po Sketch major 4 4 conditions which are going on Ta Taken n int nto organized Account Ac unt Opposition n 3 3 Can n Ge Get At Attent ntion n STEP 6: 6: Sketch STEP 7: 7: Sketch key Organized Pr 2 2 Progressive ve nized social groups uno unorgani Not on n Group Gr ups Radar Ra Die H Die Hard Active Ac ve Sup upport Inc ncline ned To Towards Inc ncline ned To Towards Ac Active ve Sup upport Die H Die Hard Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training - Chart 7
LOS AN ANGE GELES SOC OCIAL/ L/ECONOM ONOMIC JUS JUSTICE AGE GEND NDA COR ORPOR ORATE/CONS ONSERVATIVE AGE GEND NDA + Decent Quality of Life for All + Creation of low-wage, unregulated environment + Fairness, Equality, Opportunity + Cutbacks in social spending LAN ANDSCAPE APE + Authentic Democracy + Use of Public Capital to subsidize agenda AN ANAL ALYS YSIS CONGRE GRESS 10 10 Decisive ve Decision n making ng Po Power or St State Ma Mayo yor R R i i g g h h t t w w i i n n g g Inf nflue uenc nce Legislatur ure B B a a l l l l o o t t Board of Bo I I n n i i t t i i a a t t i i v v e e s s Sup upervi visors City City 8 8 Reform Counc uncil Welfare Re Ac Active ve Participant Pa nt in n Decision-m n-making ng Pr Priva vatization n MAJOR 6 6 CORPORATIONS Po Power to ha have ve Major Inf nflue uenc nce on n decision- n- making ng METR METROPO POLITAN LITAN BUSINESS BANKS Large Non-Pr n-Profits ALLIANCE ALLIANCE SEIU U 1877, 434B, B, ASSOCIATIONS 4 4 660, 660, 347 347 Taken Ta n int nto AGE AGENDA A DEVELOPERS CHURCHES Upper Middle Up Ac Account unt Class Class SOCIAL SERVICES Othe her Uni Unions ns 25% 25% Communi unity Small UNIONS Coalition n LAAN AANE Businesses 3 3 “Middle “Mid le Cla Class” ss” 17% 17% CFJ CFJ Can n Ge Get Rightwing Think Metro Al Allianc nce At Attent ntion n Tanks Grassroots Gr Gr Group ups Progressive Pr ve COMMUNITY 2 2 Chur hurche hes Pr Progressive ve GROUPS Not on n Poor & Working Families Ac Academics Ra Radar 47% 47% People on Public Assistance 17% 17% Die Hard Active Support Inclined Towards Inclined Towards Active Support Die Hard Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training
Resources and Fundraising Looking beyond founda1ons • Membership dues • Small donor / large donor • Grassroots fundraising • Mapping in-state money
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