1. Base building 101

2. Regional TRAINING 2017 GOALS
Build a collaborative organizational culture
Develop new organizers that understand the fundamentals of building power and can articulate a theory of social change.
Develop long-term relationships between regional Million Hoodies members and Northeast area chapters

3. Why do we organize?

4. Dante’s story
Talk about why Dante started organizing

5. Building a radical democracy
In a radical democracy, people at the base of society participate in all aspects of the political system, from holding elected officials accountable to running for local planning boards
Radical democracy is ordinary people participating in active community institutions where they discuss politics and ideas as they work for a better neighborhood, city, or state.

6. What would full participation by young black and brown people look like?

7. Building community power
Getting people to understand the source of their social or political problems, then devise solutions, strategize, take on leadership, and move to action through campaigns that win concrete changes.
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

8. “If a white man wants to lynch me, that’s his problem
“If a white man wants to lynch me, that’s his problem. If he’s got the power to lynch me, that’s my problem. Racism is not a question of attitude; it’s a question of power.”
Stokely Carmichael

9. Building community power
Power over
Power for
Power with

10. Building community power
Organized Money
Power represents itself through institutions such as banks, multinational corporations, trade councils, and other business interests.
Organized People
Nonviolent movements rely on organized people for their base of power.
People can be organized through political parties in elections or in institutions with members.
Organized Violence
Organized violence can be seen in the power of the state, as expressed in the military or police, which use violence or the threat of violence to maintain power over individuals or groups

11. Organizing in a power-based model
Power based organizations view its problem as a lack of power within the political decision-making process. Therefore, it builds clout so that interests are better represented in the public sphere. Organizers use conflict and confrontation to demonstrate their power and pressure to powerholders to concede to their demands. Video 1: Protestors clash with Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby Video 2: BYP100 DC disrupt US Attorney Police and Community Event

12. Organizing in a power-based model
Youth from Standing Rock occupying the lobby of the Clinton campaign headquarters for hours to demand a statement from Hillary Clinton. No compromise.

13. Components for building community power
Build a base of members: more people means more power.
Get members to understand what organizing is: action fosters commitment.
Develop members to be leaders: leaders learn by doing.
Implement strategic campaigns: campaigns deliver wins.
Engage members in the social justice movement: neutrality is not an option

14. Build a base of members Get people involved
Move decision makers with numbers
Get members to make decisions

15. Action fosters commitment
Guide members to see the roots of problems
Move members to action

16. Develop members to be leaders
Let leaders do the work
Conduct political education

17. Implement strategic campaigns
Run winnable campaigns
Analyze power

18. Main concepts of power building
Relational organizing starts with a group of people who have relationships with each other.
It includes base building, political education, issue identification, training and action.

19. Base building
A base is a group of people who can think together, work together and grow together.
Base-building is increasing the number of people who share the same vision and who are developing the strategies (doing the work) for moving that vision forward.
For us, that vision is about intersectional politics that builds power and self- determination for oppressed people.

20. Base building IS …
Continuous – You constantly build your base, even while engaged in other activities.
Non-Linear – People enter the organization in a range of ways and organizers must adapt to that.
Analytical and nuanced – Exercise judgment about how much time to invest in each person, to deepen their involvement in the organization.
Persistent – You call people many times to get them to commit and to remind them to turn out to actions. You contact them in-person, by mail, and by phone.

21. Base building IS …
Time intensive – You spend a great deal of time bringing people into the organization, keeping them involved, and developing their leadership.
About relationships – You talk to dozens of people on a regular basis. Everyone you recruit and develop has a relationship with you, with other members, and with the organization.
Directive – You have a focus – you bring information and people into the organization. You look for people who want to build power

22. Everyone is involved in base-building
A large base helps show the people with institutional and political power that our power is broad and deep in the community.
Base-building is a core organizational concern. Everyone is involved in the base-building activities of recruitment, involvement, leadership development, and tracking.

23. An organizer builds a group of people or institutions to address a common problem through collective action. An organizer plays the role of convener, agitator, teacher, student, motivator, and coach.

24. Recruitment 101
Recruitment is the process of meeting people, assessing their potential to get involved in collective action, and recording their contact information. You can only build a base for power by constantly going out and bringing new people who are affected by the issues into your campaign and your organization. 90% of organizing is about follow-up.

25. Recruitment 101 Set numeric goals
Organizing is about numbers. Set goals for the number of people you need to sign up to evaluate your base building.
Practice a rap
Construct a 5-7 minute conversation that prepares you to talk with someone you don’t know to move to action.

26. Recruitment 101 Prepare materials Data collection sheet
Commitment cards
Flyers
Determine a call to action
Decide on a concrete act a potential member can take (e.g., writing a letter on the spot, signing a petition to a landlord, completing a survey.) Taking action deepens commitment. It indicates to you that xx wants to change their condition.

27. Identify points of entry
Show you are proud of your organization
Your legitimacy comes from your organization’s accomplishments and the power of collective action. A button or t-shirt with the name of the organization can help people understand that you are a part of an organized group and show that you are proud to be a part of it.

28. Out in the field Listen for readiness and potential
Offer people a chance to participate in something big and exciting. This offer starts with a rap.
Explore self-interest
A person’s self-interest is what they need to get out of the time and energy they put into being involved. If someone really wants/needs something—a job, place to live—they put time & energy into activities that meets those needs.

29. Recruitment 101 Get a commitment
Getting a commitment is key to follow-up. If someone says, ”I’ll call you,” chances are they won’t. If someone says they will do something, you can call and ask them to do it. Recruitment commitments are ‘soft commitments’. The person has conveyed interest, but you have to confirm it.
Membership dues is not only a way to raise money but also gain commitment.

30. Out in the field Form assessments
You form initial assessments about the person’s potential to get involved. Making an assessment is not about whether or not you like a person. It is an objective assessment about the potential of that person to move to collective action with your organization.
“Very likely to get involved,” “Maybe will get involved,” “Unlikely to get involved”

31. Recruitment 101
Record contact information into database
Name, Address, Phone Number, Rating, & Comments.
Follow up
Adhere to a 24 to 48 hour rule.
Sometimes people come to you, but you still have to do the work of recruiting them.

32. What makes someone “recruited” to say “I am now part of this organization”? How do you do your recruitment?

33. Membership development 101
Organizers move members to take on tasks, make collective decisions, and turn out for actions and organizational activities.
Involvement does not just happen. You think strategically about how to use member’s abilities to greatest effect and how to motivate each of them to act (and continue to act).

34. Membership development 101
There are different types of members:
General members: Come out to actions, membership meetings, and sometimes planning meetings.
Working members: These members actively build the campaigns and the organization. Often exercise some leadership by making decisions on campaigns and actions

35. Membership development 101
Leaders: The core organizational decision makers. They bring their own networks of people into the organization. You engage them in deep strategy planning for campaigns and the organization. They represent the organization to powerholders. Leaders negotiate on behalf of the organization. They are accountable to the rest of the membership.

36. Membership development 101
”Paper” members: Less active members that haven’t taken a formal step to connect with your organization. You may send them newsletters or call to try to move them to come to an action, but do you do not invest a lot of time into involving them.

37. Involving Members Some ways to involve members in your chapter:
Making decisions
Mobilizing other members
Coming out to actions
Taking on roles
Paying dues
Meeting membership criteria
Raising money
Engaging in relationships for power

38. Building commitment Make confirmation calls
Offer support, training, and technical assistance
Send a reminder by , text, and phone

39. Membership development 101
”Paper” members: Less active members that haven’t taken a formal step to connect with your organization. You may send them newsletters or call to try to move them to come to an action, but do you do not invest a lot of time into involving them.

41. Why do we develop many Members into leaders?
More leaders mean more power.
You have more members.
Powerholders perceive you as strong.
The work gets done.
The work is sustainable.
There is increased accountability.
The group’s roots are in the community.
New opportunities rise.