How can you learn from successful community organizing campaigns and movements?

Some of the best practices for successful community organizing include building relationships, identifying allies, developing a clear message, mobilizing volunteers, establishing local leadership, engaging in direct action, using digital tools, and building power. These strategies are most effective when led by frontline communities. In addition to studying successful campaigns and movements, one can also learn from failures. Analyzing what went wrong in unsuccessful campaigns can help organizers avoid similar mistakes in future efforts.

Whether you use high tech or low tech or a piece of paper, a stick scratched in sand, you can organize any group of people, so long as you tailor your messaging to speak to what they care about most. Each of them. So divide your sectors, be specific, and communicate authentically to their hearts, minds, and most importantly their fears, and what drives them. You can't fail if you focus on what matters and you don't lose sight of that when the road gets tough.

some other ways to build relationships and trust in community organizing: Regular communication:This can include email newsletters, group messaging apps or regular meetings. Active listening: Show genuine interest and provide opportunities for members to express their opinions and ideas. This helps in building trust and making individuals feel valued. Collaborative decision-making: This demonstrates that members perspectives and ideas are valued, which promotes a sense of ownership and commitment. Networking and coalition-building: Networking and forming coalitions can strengthen your community's impact, broaden support, and establish credibility and trust among a wider audience.

I have found in years of organizing communities from the bottom up, with no budget, with very little community resources available, that you always have more than you think you do. Operate from a spirit of gratitude, of noticing what you do have, not focusing on what you don't. When you operate from a lens of limitation and scarcity, you can't be successful. It's easy to get bogged down in the trenches when you are working on the hardest social issues when you, yourselves, face poverty. Community means more than one. We always have more than we think we do. Speak authentically. Be as honest as you can, without divulging privileged information about those with less power than you or your audience. Be creative! Brainstorm together! As one!

Yes it's important to be clear and somewhat realistic from the beginning. However, I would caution against taking too little risk. Communities that face the most pressing social problems are used to "making do" with tiny changes. To settling. It's important to dream without limitations. To start your endline vision from the actual world you want to see, not a small change. You will end up settling for nothing and no change. And your community will be fatigued. Be realistic but dream big and make your plan for achieving that. But don't set out thinking you're going to fail before you even start. If you have to pivot your strategy, that's perfectly fine. Communicate that well, and often to your stakeholders. Use community champions.

When we talk about "empowering" that word gets thrown around a lot in the field of social change and impact. What does it mean to truly empower someone? Is it handing them your power? No. To empower someone you have to give them a push, to stand in their own power. You have to make them believe it's possible and show them how to do it. Assess your base well. There are always shy people and extroverted people. In every community, there are already leaders, especially at the bottom. Because we have to lead to survive. So really see people and what they are capable of, invite them to teach the others, and to inspire them. Sustained momentum comes from seeing people who look like us, take charge. So get out of their way, and let them lead.

Data does not always have to be complicated or high tech. Any piece of feedback is a piece of data. Important data. So simplify your feedback process and make it as easy as possible for your community of stakeholders to share info with you. Their perspective matters the most. You learn the most from them, not experts. Keep it simple, but most importantly, keep it organized. You have 10 girls, 10 old men, 10 young men, 20 children. Get 2 from each to tell you about what happened at this activity. Less is more when it comes to quality. Get enough for a solid sample size, but make sure you are prioritizing what really matters. That's learning. So you can iterate, try again, and get better, faster, and cheaper so you can scale results.