grassroots organizing april 22, 2015 final
TRANSCRIPT
BLUE STRIKE WEBINAR: GRASSROOTS, MEMBERSHIP AND
FUNDRAISING
With Ali Thebert
Join the webinar online:
https://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/d95f8791/27857634
Toll Number: 201-479-4595
Enter the meeting number: 27857634
Participants will be muted during the presentation to
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question, please add it to the chat room.
Welcome to the webinar!
Blue Strike
Building a Movement: Membership drives & place-making advocacy
Alexandra Thebert
April 22, 2015
Save the Wild U.P.
• Broad support
• Being right
• Founded in 2004
• Courageous
Challenges in 2012:
• No money
• No time - new copper/nickel
mine opening soon
• No volunteers
So we got to work!
Read more:
Google — “How to do a SWOT analysis”
Results in 2015:
• Vibrant internship program
• Stable donor-based funding
• Consistent permitting and policy analysis
• 100s of volunteers
• 1,000s of new supporters
• Renewed media relationships
• Infrastructure developed to expand
• Laterally-integrated programming
Read more:
Save the Wild U.P. — savethewildup.org
Read more:
The Risk Toolbox Shop —http://www.therisktoolboxshop.com/_blog/The_Risk_Management_Tool_Box_Blog/pos
t/The_risk_with_fracking/ (graphic source)
Mining’s Community “Outreach”
• “Independent” water testing
• Nonprofit grants
• “Community Scorecard”
• Campaign contributions
• Economic development nonprofit
• Sponsorships: Sled dog races, hockey
• Rebranded rhetoric “Mining is our
heritage”
Read more:
Eagle Mine: http://eaglemine.com/approach/community/ (graphic source)
Center for Media and Democracy — prwatch.org
Why build members/supporters if
you’re already right?
• Consistent funding
• Freedom from grant cycles
• Volunteer base
• Immediate feedback
• Data-driven programs
• You will grow!
• The Movement will grow!
Read more:
Jonathan Poisner on why organizations thrive — http://poisner.com/blog/
Politics the Wellstone Way — wellstone.org
The industry said:
• We weren’t from here.
• We were elitists.
• We didn’t care about
everyday folks.
Read more:
Google — “Peter Sandman”
Read more:
Midwest Academy, Organizing for Social Change
Building a movement:
• Union organizing
• Education
• Developing critique
• Giving voice to the voiceless
• Persevering through mining
Read more:
Eric Mann, Playbook for Progressives
Interns & Fellows:
• Youth leadership
• Quickly trained
• Built university ties
Tabling & Outreach
• Almost free
• Volunteer-run
• Highly visible
• Data-driven
• Sign up everyone!
The $5 Fundraising Ask
• Increases funding
• Increases supporters
• Increases volunteers
• Increases future $100
contributions
• Gets contact info
• Anyone can make that “ask”
Goals:
• Volunteer development
• Rural outreach
• Supporter sign-up
• Fundraising ask
• Visibility
• First contact
Costs:
• Hot dogs
• Gas
Goals:
• Raise big bucks
• Highlight local support
• Offer public relations critique
• Celebrate artists and wins
Costs:
• The Band
• The space
Goals:
• Highlight local business long
opposed to new mining
• Grow artist ties and exposure
• Offer free event
Costs:
• Mike
• A guitar
Goals:
• Reach out to the old timers
• … and the kids
• Celebrate culture
• De-elite-ify
Costs:
• The band
• The space
A small note on failing:
• Can you fail up?
• Can your staff or
volunteers fail up?
• How’s volunteer retention?
• What’s the ratio of staff to
volunteers?
Read more:
Tavis Smiley, Fail Up — http://www.npr.org/2011/05/04/135985392/tavis-
smiley-if-at-first-you-dont-succeed-fail-up
Stay in touch - I love feedback!
Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 01:15 PM Fundraising Webinar How Affinity Groups Build Donor Loyalty
June 16, 2015 at 01:15 PM Fundraising Webinar Five Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Donors
Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 01:15 PM Fundraising Webinar Charity Watchdogs: Managing Your Organization's Profile and Ranking
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at 09:00 AM TBD Get Ready, Here It Comes: Reaching Your Fundraising Goals
Upcoming webinars and
workshops