Grassroots Mobilization

If you’re a member of an organization that has spotted a need for change but doesn’t know how to make a meaningful impact alone, coalition building may be the answer for you. Though you may know the change you want to make, the hardest part is figuring out how to get started. Do you have enough resources, money and otherwise, to make this happen?

We originally wrote this blog post on how to build a grassroots movement in 2016, and it’s amazing how much things have changed in the last four years. For most campaigns in 2016, canvassing was still the go-to way to build your grassroots movement and was a tried and true way of connecting with people. Some smaller campaigns had built their entire programs around a relentless canvass strategy and talking to every voter in their turf.

There are many grassroots strategies out in the world, but not all of them work. So when it comes to grassroots, what actually works? The most effective strategies are built around personal relationships with legislators. When organizations build real relationships between their members and elected officials, their engagement lasts longer and their phone calls get returned.

For the majority of campaigns, having a strong voter ID program will be vastly important. That’s because in many small and local elections, the election will really be won or lost by less than 1,000 votes. So making sure you are talking to exactly the right people is absolutely essential.