A grassroots movement is an organized effort undertaken by groups of individuals in a given geographic area to bring about changes in social policy or influence an outcome, often of a political issue. By harnessing spontaneous support at local levels to bring about policy changes at local, regional, national, or international levels, grassroots movements are considered bottom-up, rather than top-down efforts—much in the way grass grows. Today, grassroots movements work to influence social issues such as racial injustice, reproductive rights, climate change, income inequality, or affordable housing.
Grassroots campaigns succeed by raising money, increasing public awareness, building name recognition, and increasing political participation. To accomplish these goals, grassroots campaigning requires a wide variety of strategies including:
- Raising money to pay for political advertising
- Putting up posters, handing out flyers, and going door-to-door
- Conducting letter-writing, phone-calling, and emailing campaigns
- Gathering signatures for petitions
- Holding get out the vote activities and helping people get to polling places
- Organizing larger rallies and marches
- Posting information on online social media networks
Successful advocacy can be measured in a variety of ways, but most grassroots organizers will likely agree that success can only be achieved when the right strategies are employed. Due to his experience with grassroots campaigning, Dino is providing the following activities and ensuring successful outcomes of the campaign by:
1. Crafting a compelling message.
A strong message or narrative can generate support and inspire volunteers to sign on to your grassroots campaign. Consider all of your organization’s stakeholders when crafting your message, such as your current supporter base, elected officials you plan to reach out to, and other groups you partner with.
Crafting a compelling narrative may take several drafts to get right. You’ll also need to have multiple versions of your mission to share, based on each platform or format you intend to use. For example, the message your volunteers share while canvassing will likely be a lot more condensed and to the point than the one you share on your website, where you have space to discuss the finer points of your campaign.
If your advocacy efforts are one branch at your larger organization, consider how your campaign-specific goals fit into your organization’s overall mission. Your campaign goals will likely be a lot more specific, targeting a unique piece of legislation or a few key pieces of information you want to disperse.
2. Gathering support online
Today, online advocacy is a major component of most grassroots advocacy campaigns. Both large and small grassroots groups can benefit from using the internet to attract supporters online to join in and make a difference. Online advocacy can be conducted by both your organization and individual supporters, though in slightly different ways. Here is how digital advocacy might look for your organization and supporters:
- Your organization will likely use online communication channels primarily as a recruiting and educational tool. Your social media posts, emails, digital newsletters, and blog posts all aim to inform and persuade potential supporters to join your cause while keeping your current base engaged.
- Individual supporters can use online platforms, such as social media, as their primary communication channels for supporting your campaign. For example, these supporters may share your organization’s social media posts, campaign on your behalf, and even use online methods to reach out to their elected officials.
3. Canvassing and supporting your community
Canvassing, whether in-person or online, can help grassroots advocacy groups establish themselves in their community while generating interest, educating the public, and collecting donations.
Strategic canvassing helps your organization form personal, one-on-one connections with members of your community, earning leads for future donors and volunteers. Plus, when volunteers canvass their own communities, they’re likely to attract the attention of friends, family, and acquaintances who will be more inclined to stop for a moment to speak with a friendly face.
Before letting your volunteers loose with clipboards and pens, consider investing in canvassing software. Traditional paper forms may get the job done, but this process requires tedious data entry, as you’ll need to input collected names and contact details into your system one at a time.
4. Organizing peer-to-peer campaigns.
Your supporters have contacts outside of your organization who may be interested in donating or offering their support if properly persuaded. This is where peer-to-peer campaigns come in to boost your grassroots advocacy campaign’s momentum.
Peer-to-peer campaigns leverage your supporters’ networks to attract new supporters, more donations, and spread awareness about your campaign.
Before launching a peer-to-peer campaign, make sure you have the proper software support to stay organized. These campaigns rely on many volunteers independently campaigning on behalf of your grassroots group, meaning they often have several moving parts and can quickly become overwhelming if not adequately prepared for in advance.
5. Hosting advocacy events
Events help raise awareness for your cause, while also building a sense of community amongst your supporters and earning your grassroots advocacy group donations. Nonprofits who recruit volunteers to help run their events can even earn more for their campaigns through volunteer grants.
Planning an event is a multi-step process, and events without proper forethought can create a fun experience for guests without establishing their organization’s message and the event’s overall purpose.
To host events that interweave your grassroots advocacy campaign’s mission while strengthening your connection to your supporters, take the following steps to plan your event:
- Choose an appropriate event type. Consider your core audience and stakeholders when selecting your event type. Expensive, exclusive galas may be appropriate for campaigns hoping to garner major donations, but are unlikely to have the same appeal a 5K or community event would with a group of grassroots supporters.
- Assemble an experienced team. While few grassroots campaigns are started by professional activists and organizers, your event team should be made up of individuals who are experienced with logistics, coordinating teams, and scheduling long-term projects.
- Recruit potential sponsors. Events can quickly rack up costs. You can decrease the financial burden and use your events as an opportunity to reach out to local businesses to sponsor your cause. Research businesses and reach out to those with missions that align with your campaign’s. Then, discuss the terms of the sponsorship with them and highlight the potential benefits they could receive for connecting their brand name with your advocacy efforts.
- Incorporate software into your event. As mentioned, peer-to-peer campaigns pair well with events, bringing in new supporters to enjoy your event activities while contributing to your cause. However, there are more software solutions that can elevate events outside of peer-to-peer software, including live streaming tools, text-to-give software, and gamification tools such as fundraising thermometers or interactive petitions.