Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide To Creating Groups That Can Solve Problems and Change the World

211 Pages·2007·18.34 MB·English

by  Michael Jacoby Brown

Building
Powerful
Community
Organizations
A Personal Guide to
Creating Groups that
Can Solve Problems
and Change the World
-_____o(0)-)---
MICHAEL JACOBY BROWN
LONG HAUL PRESS
. ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSnrS
Copyright © 2006
No part of this manuscript can be used without
the written permission of the author.
Michael Jacoby Brown
Website: www.BuHdingPowerfuICommunityQrganizations.com
E-mail:
CONTENTS
Table of Exercises . ....................................... xi
Table of Case Studies ................................... xiii
Table of QuickTips . .................................... xiv
Table of Stories ......................................... xv
Acknowledgments ................... . ................ xix
About the Exercises ..................................... xxi
Introduction .......................................... xxiii
SECTION I: THE INSIDE STORY .......................... 1
Towards a Detinition of a Community Organization ....... 1
Chapter One IWhat Is Community Organizing, Anyway? ...... 3
Community Organizing: Power, Self-Interest,
and Relationships ............................... 3
The Theory Behind Community Organizing ............. 6
The Group Provides a Sense of Community ............ 12
Who Does It? ..................................... 13
The Organizing Alchemy: A Look At How It All Works ... 15
Chapter Two I Step by Step-
Building a Community Organization ................ 23
The Basic Steps of Building a Community Organization .. 2;3
Getting Started: ................................... 26
Step One: The Idea Arrives ...................... 26
Step 'lWo: Develop the Vision .................... 27
Step Three: Start With Yourself-
What Makes You Tick? ................ 32
Step Four: Listen to Others ...................... 46
Step Five: Put Your Organization in Writing ......... 55
Step Six: Develop a Sponsoring Committee ......... 58
Step Seven: Bring Together a Core Group .......... 61
vii
viii • BUILDING POWERFUL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CONTENTS • ix
Chapter Three I Developing a Mission, Goals, and Objectives .. 70 More On the Iron Rule: Don't Suck Up
Mission Statements ................................ 70 All the Responsibility. . . . . . . . .. . .............. 221
How Do You Develope a Mission Statement ............. 71
Goals and Objectives ............................... 77 Chapter Eight I Mobilizing Resources: Meetings ............. 225
Guidelines for Meetings ........................... 225
Chapter Four I Structure: How to Build
Your Organization to Last ......................... 86 Meeting Facilitation ............................... 234
Structure Matters .................................. 87
Chapter Nine I Mobilizing Resources: Raising Money ........ 243
Key Elements of Structure .......................... 94
Members ........................................ 112 Members and Money .............................. 244
Values and Group Norms .......................... 116 Effective Organizations Organize Money Effectively .... 246
Asking People for Money .......................... 249
SECTION II: POWER MEANS MOBILIZING What About Grants? .............................. 256
YOUR RESOURCES ........................ 123
Chapter Five I Developing Power: Why Recruit? ............ 125 SECTION III: MAKING CHANGE .............. .......... 263
The Reason We Organize is to Develop Power ......... 125
Why Recruit People to Your Organization? ............ 127 ChapterTen I Organizing: Pathway to Change .............. 265
Who Should You Recruit? '" ....................... 132 Organizing as a Strategy ........................... 265
Why People Join Organizations ..................... 137 Organizing Strategy: The Nuts and Bolts .............. 273
The Point is to Build Relationships ............... .. 142 Other Strategies for Improving the World. . . . . . . . . . . .. 278
Chapter Six I How to Recruit: The Nuts and Bolts .......... 146 Assumptions, Effectiveness, and Values of the Strategies .. 283
Listen. Don't Sell. ................................. 147 Real-World Complexities of the Different Strategies .... 286
Method One: Short Visits, or "Door-knocking" ......... 148 For Service Organizations That Want to Move
Method Two: Longer Visits-The One-on-One ......... 153
Beyond Service ............................... 293
Recruiting for a Ta.<)k .............................. 172
The Minnie Test .................................. 299
Recruiting to Build a Democratic Organization:
It Takes More Than Learning a Rap .............. 180
Chapter Eleven I Taking Action, Solving Problems,
Success Breeds Success ........................... 185
Getting Results .................................. 302
Chapter Seven I The Way to Develop Power Actions: Setting Change In Motion ................... 302
Is to Develop Leaders ............................ 187 Actions Cause Tension; Tension Leads to Change ...... 306
What Do Leaders Do? ............................. 188
Tips for Making Actions Work ...................... 310
Leaders and Self-Interest .......................... 192
Information Is a Cornerstone of Action ............... 311
Opportunities for Middle-Class Activists .............. 200
How to Develop Leaders ........................... 202 Action and Learning .............................. 316
The Iron Rule of Organizing-"Never Do for People What Putting It All Together-
They Can Do for Themselves" ., ................. 209 From Organizing to Action to Evaluation .......... 327
J
x • BUILDING POWERFUL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Chapter Twelve' Building Community .................... 335
Organizations Are a Two-Way Street ................. 336
EXERCISES
Organizing and Mutual A."lsistance ................... 337
Powerful Organizations Exercise
Both Heart and Muscle ......................... 340
Chapter Two 'Step by Step-Building a Community Organization
SECTION IV: OUR FUTURE ............................ 347 Exercises:
Putting Your Vision Into Words ...................... 29
Chapter Thirteen 'Where Do We Go From Here? .......... 349
:F'inding the Stories that Guide You ................... 40
Looking Outward and Forward ..................... 349
Looking Into Yourself Is the First Step of a Good Leader .. 42
The Impact of Community Organizations ............. 351
FInding Your Core Beliefs ........................... 45
New Technologies, New Approaches,
New Opportunities ........................... 354 Building Your Core Group .......................... 66
Coming fUll Circle: It Takes an Organization
Chapter Three' Developing a Mission, Goals, and Objectives
to Raise a Village .............................. 359
Group Exercise:
Afterword I Your Turn .................................. 360 a Mission Statement ........................ 76
Community Organizing: A Very Annotated Bibliography . .... 365 Chapter Four' Structure: How to BuildYour Organization to Last
Recommended Reading ............................ 366 Exercises:
Finding Your Structure ............................. 94
Other Resources ....................................... 375
Finding Your Structure, Part 1 ' ....................... 95
Appendix' How to Get Tax-Exempt Status ................ 381
Finding Your Structure, Part 2 ....................... 99
Index ...................... ........................... 385
Finding Your Structure, Part 3 .......................104
About the Author ...................................... 391
Finding Your Structure, Part 4 ...................... 110
Feedback Forms ........................................ 393 Your Structure, Part 5 ...................... 115
Adding Your Stories ............................... 394
Finding Your Structure, Part 6 ...................... 120
Time for Your Feedback ............................ 395
Quick Book Order Form ................................ 397 Chapter Five' Developing Power: Why Recruit?
Exercises:
Why Recruit? .................................... 128
Personal Reasons for Recruiting .................... 129
Recruiting Exercise: What Led You to Join? ........... 137
What's In It for You? " ........................... 140
Chapter Six I How to Recruit: The Nuts and Bolts
Exercises:
How to Plan a Visit ............................... 156
Dividing Tasks ................................... 178
xi
xii • BUILDING POWERFUL CO.MMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Chapter Seven I The Way to Develop Power Is to Develop Leaders
Exercises:
Creating a Leadership Development Plan for Someone In CASE STUDIES
Your Organization ............................. 204
Questions for the Iron Rule: Look Inside Yourself ...... 219
Starting an Organization that Makes a Difference ....... 16
Chapter Nine I Mobilizing Resources: Raising Money
Exercise: Crafting Your Goals, Objectives, and Measures ......... 79
Getting Over Your Hang-Up About
Critique of a Group's Goals and Objectives ............. 81
Asking People for Money .......................... 254
The "Structureless" Coalition ........................ 87
Chapter Ten I Organizing: Pathway to Change
Relationships Keep (rroups Together ................. 144
Exercises:
Personal Reflection on Service and Organizing ........ 296 Dividing Tasks So Everyone Can Contribute ........ 177
Identifying Real Help .............................. 299
Using Role Play and Critique to Practice Recruiting .... 182
Chapter Eleven I Taking Action, Solving Problems, Getting Results Self-Interest at Work in Leadership Development ....... 194
Exercise:
The Archaeology of Organizing: Digging for Stories,
Infomlation as a Source of Power ................... 314
Meaning, and Motivation ....................... 198
Chapter Twelve I Building Community
One List of Agreements ............................ 203
Group Exercise:
Next Step-Knocking On Doors ..................... 209
Fostering a Group that Meets Its Members' Needs ...... 341
Moving Beyond the Doughnuts ..................... 214
The Tutoring Project .............................. 274
From Advocacy to Organizing ...................... 286
From the Ground Up-Building An Organization
to Solve a Shared Problem ...................... 327
xiii
QUICK TIPS STORIES
How to Run a .F'ocus Group ......................... 53 Introduction
Sample Sponsoring Committee Agreement Letter ....... 60 Keeping Their Homes ............................ xxiv
How to Coach for Participation-Working Across Cla.:;s,
SECTION I: THE INSIDE STORY
Education, or Experience Backgrounds ............ 92
The Secret to Recruitment ......................... 139 Chapter One I What Is Community Organizing, Anyway?
Membership Cards for New Recruits ................. 149 Me and My Dad .................................... 3
How Quickly a Group Can Achieve (and Lose) Power ..... 9
A Flyer to Leave Behind ....... . . . . . .. . ........... 150
The Person Closest to the Problem Sees the Solution '" . 10
Bring Your Notebook .............................. 153
Traffic and the Block Party .......................... 17
Use Your Judgment About Time ..................... 154
Chapter Two I Step by Step-Building a Community Organization
Eating and the One-on-One ......................... 156
People Won't Corne Along If You Don't Tell Them
A Simple 3 x 5 Card System Works Well .............. 168
the Whole Story ............................... 30
Follow-Up: Using Your Notes to Strengthen Relationships .. 169 Dignity, Democracy, and a Dental Plan ................ 31
Summary of How to Do a One-on-One Recruiting Visit .. 170 My Story: Let Me Start with Minnie ................... 33
The Strong Pull of Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 35
Humor Helps .................................... 223
My Father~The Artist's Gift .................. " ..... 37
Goals ........................................... 228
Discrimination .................................... 37
Physical Layout .................................. 230
A Written Description Helps to Spread the Idea ......... 56
Using Ground Rules to Guide Effective Meetings ....... 231 Get It In Writing ................................... 59
Your Rules Are Better Than Robert's ................. 233 Know Where Your Group Draws the Line .............. 62
Stop Division at the Start ........................... 63
How To Get People There: Provide Good Directions .... 235
Small Is Beautiful ................................. 65
A Toolkit for Organizers ........................... 236
Chapter Three I Developing a Mission, Goals, and Objectives
Three Steps for Facilitating Discussion at a Meeting .... 240
Looking Beyond the Wolf at the Door ................. 72
How to Build or Destroy an Organization
What Are You Really About? ......................... 72
Through Meetings ............................. 241
Say Where You Are Going and How You Will Get There .. 74
Things to Remember for Successful Fundraising ....... 249
The Power of a Word .............................. 75
Guidelines for Asking People for Money .............. 251 Leaders Listen, Learn, and Are Willing to Change ....... 83
Checklist for Evaluating an Action ................... 321 "Enemies" Can Become Allies ....................... 84
xiv
xvi • BUILDING POWERFUL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TABLE OF STORIES • xvii
Chapter Four I Structure: How to BuildYour Organization to Last Collect Money Now, Not Later ...................... 253
Accountability Means Counting ...................... 90 There's Always More Where That Came From ......... 256
Structure Saves the Day ........................... 101 "We're No Longer Interested In That" ................ 257
You Can't Please All of the People ................... 108 Now You See It, Now You Don't ..................... 260
Don't Count Your Votes Unless You Know Who Can Vote ... 108
Don't Sell People Short ............................ 114
SECTION III: MAKING CHANGE
Setting Group Norms In Real Time .................. 117
Linking Social Change Activism with Chapter Ten I Organizing: Pathway to Change
Shared Religious Values ........................ 119 The Students vs. The University ..................... 267
Top-Down Problem-Solving ........................ 272
Ask Why You Are Doing What You Are Doing .......... 274
SECTION II: POWER MEANS MOBILIZING YOUR RESOURCES
Ask Before You Act .............................. 276
Chapter Five I Developing Power: Why Recruit?
Smart Businesses Know the Real Experts ............ 277
Organized People Can Organize Money ............... 125
More Than One Way to Heal a Child ................. 280
One-on-One Recmiting is the Foundation for Success ... 126
The Organizer in the Homeless Shelter ............... 289
Memory Can Move Us ............................. 135
Organizing Is More than Skin Deep .................. 291
Chapter Six I How to Recruit: The Nuts and Bolts
Chapter Eleven I Taking Action, Solving Problems, Getting Results
Culture Matters .................................. 167
Ask For What You Want ........................... 304
To Be Of Use .................................... 172
Better Together .................................. 174 Accountability Sessions Can Also Help Hold Members
Letters Last ..................................... 175 Accountable ................................. 305
Winning is Different from Being Right-or Righteous ... 305
Chapter Seven I The Way to Develop Power Is to Develop Leaders
Learning the Truth-Even When It Hurts ............. 308
Of Dumpsters, Old Friend,>, and New Leaders ......... 190
Paying Attention to the Top Dog .................... 312
The Iron Rule in Reverse .......................... 218
Getting the Right Information ....................... 313
Not So Easy Not To Do It Yourself ................... 219
Action, Reaction, and Evaluation .................... 316
A Time to Challenge .............................. 221
When No One Listens, Why Talk? .................... 322
Chapter Eight I Mobilizing Resources: Meetings
Asking Face-to-Face .............................. 324
No Magic Turnout ................................ 226
"I love Italians!" or Don't Underestimate
Respect People's Time ............................. 229
the Power of Your Presence ..................... 325
Chapter Nine I Mobilizing Resources: Raising Money Creating a Powerful Tenants Association ............. 327
Early Money Helps You Rise ........................ 243
Chapter Twelve I Building Community
No Results Without an Organization;
Build the World You Want Right Now ................ 335
No Organization Without Organized Money ....... 246
"Serving" and Building Community .................. 338
Follow the Money ................................ 248
Make the Work Fit the Money ...................... 249 Real Thank You's Help ............................. 342
Do Your Homework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ............. 251 Discovering Our Overlapping Selves ................. 342
xviii • BUILDING POWERFUL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
SECTION IV: OUR FUTURE
Chapter Thirteen 'Where Do We Go From Here? ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
How "Crazy" Ideas Become the Norm ................ 353
One Elected Official Accountable to a
Grassroots Organization ........................ 358
Many people helped to improve this book by reading drafts
along the way and offering helpful comments. They
Afterword' Your Turn
include: Alec Dubro, Arinne Edelman, Lew Finfer, Bob Van
Meter, Jim Wessler, Bob Lamm, Heather Booth, Mike
Appendix' How to GetTax-Exempt Status
Gecan, Hilary Goodridge, Barbara Beckwith, Lois Gibbs,
Tax Regulations Can Be Used As a Political Tool ....... 383
Carl Offner, Daniel Hunter, Tia Zlotnikoff, David Trietsch,
FEEDBACK FORMS Ellen David Friedman, Wally Roberts, Ruth Fein, Bruno
Adding Your Stories ............................... 394 Tardieu, Sue Marsh, Peter Shapiro, Chris Argyris, Marc
Miller, Desmond Bailey, Tom Levinson, She I Trapp, Ashley
Adams, Ken Galdston, Janet Strassman Perlmutter, Corita
Brown, Lee Staples, and Robert Houseman. Thanks to Sam
Mendales for his photographic expertise.
I am indebted to my parents, Bob and Frieda Brown, who
taught me right from wrong, were my role models for how
to change the world, and brought me to my first picket lines
as a child.
I am indebted to the many organizers and leaders who
taught me and showed me the ropes along the way. There
are so many. Israel Jacoby, Arnold Langberg, Dick Powell,
Gregory H.C. Knox, Bob Jones, Sandy Turner, Anthony
Thigpenn, Len Calabrese, Mark Toney, Heather Booth, Si
Kahn, Kim Fellner, Mary Ochs, Ellen David Friedman, Wally
Roberts, Horace Small, Ron Bell, Steve Edelstein, Warren
Heyman, Elizabeth Meier, Jim Mehigan, Veronica Harding,
Peg Swartz, Tom and Sally May, Alan Biederman, Tom
Wylie, Jake Sherman, Merrill Kaitz, Kelly Gloger, Debbie
Katz, Susan Carter, Jimmy Landau, Chris Argyris, Don
Schon, Ronnie Heifetz, Sue Williamson, Jon Pratt, Mike
Frieze, Michael Sales, Mark Horowitz, Simon Klarfeld, Jan-
ice Fine, Jeanne DuBois, Johnny O'Connor, Paulette Ford,
Dan Violi, Gladys Vega, Dick Moskowitz, Larry Kushner,
Lorel Zar-Kessler, Marie Manna, Lew Finfer, Sam Mendales,
xix