Grassroots Organizing
Real political change nearly always starts from the bottom and emanates upward. But giving for grassroots organizing and movement-building can be challenging. Many donors don’t have the time or the resources to figure out how and where to give. Below, we’ll further explain why supporting organizing is so important, along with where donors can invest to make the biggest impact, and tips for getting started.
Why Donating for Organizing and Movement-building is Important
One huge weakness of progressive politics in the last 50 years has been an overemphasis on high-level politics, from focusing too much on presidential elections to investing in areas like litigation and advocacy rather than grassroots organizing. For a time, these acted as shortcuts for progressives to achieve their goals (or at least play defense), using the courts and federal government to enact or block certain policies. Unfortunately, when those institutions are controlled by the right, focusing on them will do little to accomplish our goals. And even when Democrats are in power, major change is unlikely to happen without concerted pressure from organized groups that represent many people. This work is especially important to ensure that the voices of low-income people and communities of color are heard in our democracy. Investing in movement-building and grassroots organizing is essential to build that power.
Where to Donate for Organizing and Movement Building
National grassroots organizing groups and umbrella organizations. A handful of major, national organizations work to fund, support and connect hundreds of smaller grassroots groups throughout the country. For many donors, this will be the easiest way to contribute to organizing and movement-building. Community Change and Center for Popular Democracy work with and support organizations across America, with a special focus on low-income communities of color. This work activates people to push for change on issues that matter to them, like housing, wages and policing. Another great option for donors is the Movement Voter Project, an intermediary organization that supports organizing and movement-building across the country, though with a greater focus on elections. Larger donors might consider joining the Solidaire Network, a membership community of progressive donors committed to supporting movement building.
Groups focused on organizing on specific issues. For donors interested in certain causes, giving for issue-based organizing is a great option. Those interested in climate change can support groups like Sunrise Movement; those focused on racial justice can give to BLM Grassroots; and those interested in the labor movement can give to the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA). In short, no matter what issue a donor is motivated by, there is nearly always a grassroots organizing option for giving. Donating to such groups is critical to build an active political constituency for a cause, making legislative and policy change more likely.
Training groups. Organizing is hard and requires training. While most of these skills are learned on the job, there are a number of organizations that specialize in training organizers. One of the oldest is the Midwest Academy, which has trained some 25,000 organizers over five decades, working with numerous small, community-based organizations that are vital to long-term change, as well as a who’s who of national organizations. Other training groups include re:power, which focuses on training BIPOC organizers, Training for Change and Rising Organizers. Donating to training groups can be a good way to leverage your giving to support movement-building.
Organizing and movement-building in one’s own state or community. Giving to national groups that regrant to local organizers is a great first step for donors, but you can also support organizing efforts closer at hand. Some cities have progressive funding intermediaries that only support local organizing — such the Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles, the North Star Fund in New York, Bread and Roses Community Fund in Philadelphia and the Haymarket’s People Fund in Boston. Donors can also identify local giving options using the Movement Voter Project’s directory of hundreds of organizing groups across the U.S.
For Donors Getting Started
Learn more about grassroots organizing and movement-building. The websites of organizations mentioned above have a wealth of information on organizing. Donors should take the time to read up on who’s doing what and the strategies different groups are employing.
Make sure you understand the different types of nonprofits and political groups, and what that means for your giving. The examples we cited above include a variety of different types of organizations, from standard 501(c)(3)s to the more politically minded (c)(4)s. Donors should read up on the different limits and tax incentives when it comes to giving to these groups, especially if you’re looking to give through a foundation.
Think about your giving in the bigger picture. Grassroots organizing works in a complementary fashion with other strategies for change, such as litigation, research, policy advocacy and electoral campaigns. All this work is important and donors should avoid thinking in either/or terms. Many large progressive funders back a range of strategies. That said, grassroots organizing tends to be chronically underfunded, so this is an area where smaller donors can feel confident that their resources will fill a vital need.