Organizing Strategy Defined

Plus, a great read with no deeper meaning

You’re not the only one who smiles politely and says “right on” when I say “organizing strategy.”

Here’s what I mean.

The first time I knocked on a door was 1988, when I might have been the only person in America who thought Michael Dukakis could win when he ran for president. (He couldn’t.)

But I also thought that if we could just elect all the right people, we could solve all our problems.

You might have noticed that none of those things happened.

As I learned more about organizing - not just field campaigns - I started to understand that we have to do more than win. We have to build power.

Power is about unity in the face of attacks, but it’s also about creating an atmosphere where there are fewer attacks. It’s about setting the agenda. For example, with power, we can create an atmosphere where our trans siblings, immigrant and Black neighbors and LGBTQ friends feel safer walking down the street.

We don’t have power when we win an election. We win elections when we have power. And even more than that, we can use that power to make things better for our communities.

At this point, you might be vigorously nodding your head in agreement. “Yes! That’s what we need!”

So how do we get it?

By bringing people together. To build relationships and trust. With intention.

In organizing campaigns, we start from the premise that our purpose is to bring people together to build power. We’re just using the excuse of the election, issue, legislation, ICE, etc. to do it.

“Yeah, but what does that mean for real?” you’re probably asking. Or “how is that different from our regular advocacy or issue campaigns?”

Every campaign and every organization is different, so I can’t lay out a plan here that is the golden ticket for everyone. In general, there are several elements:

• deliberate opportunities for members, volunteers, leaders, staff and activists to build relationships.

• always looking for leaders (who have followers)

• developing leadership

• disrupting white supremacy culture

• sharing an interest in building relational power.*

• creating a transparent strategy, not scrambling to throw bodies at a problem every time.

*The great thing about relational power is that the more we share it, the more there is!

What questions do you have about organizing strategy? Aren’t we all just supposed to know?? Sometimes what we know doesn’t square with what we’re doing.

So ask for a friend. Put your friend’s question in the comments. I bet there are a few other people reading this post who have that same question but don’t want to ask.

As you can probably guess, I love talking about organizing strategy and building power. If you love it too, let’s compare notes! Reply here to find a time to connect.

📸: James Anne Farrell

Reading Rec for the Times

Sometimes we need to read something with no deeper meaning, no historical significance and no lesson for our times. Something funny and engaging that won’t insist that you reflect.

If that’s you right now, The Husbands is the book for you.

By Holly Gramazio, the book is about a woman who cycles through husbands in an unusual way: she sends them to the attic.

No, she’s not a serial killer or psycho kidnapper. Her attic produces husbands. When a husband appears who is not The One for any reason, she makes up an excuse for why he needs to go into the attic. When he does, he disappears up the ladder and down climbs another husband and she tries again.

Her life changes to varying degrees with each husband. No one blinks when she shows up one day with one husband and the next day with another.

She doesn’t have to explain anything to anyone because, as far as her family and friends can see, there’s nothing to explain. In fact, when she tries to confide in her bestie about the shenanigans, the friend suggests a therapist.

Oh, some husbands come with a different job. Which she has to discover and learn on the spot.

It’s hilarious and won’t ask you to consider . . . anything.