From protesting against fascism to building reproductive justice in Texas to facilitating workshops on evaluating actions, June has been a busy month. One highlight of June was a session of Innovate Public Schools’ Community Organizer Training Program. The workshops I
Have you noticed that sometimes there’s a disconnect between organizing and fundraising? I’ve been thinking about a workshop to help development staff talk to funders about long-term organizing. The kind of campaigns that take five years, don’t produce reams of
This month at the America Votes State Summit, I attended a panel about the 2026 Midterms, where there was some talk about “investments.” All of the panel members were from organizations that exist to win elections. To be fair, the
A while back, I was the organizing director for an organizing campaign with state employees in Colorado. It was a huge campaign, with about 30 organizers and 40,000 workers. Part of leading the campaign was going with organizers during their
Recently a very good friend and political campaign ally said that sometimes she doesn’t know what I’m talking about: “I have to admit, sometimes, even I don’t see it. I mean, how does bringing people together build power the way
If you’ve ever organized or participated in a rapid response action, you’ll know what I’m talking about. TL;DR Skip to the bottom for five tips on turning mobilizing into organizing. Responding to a Crisis We’ve all thrown bodies at a
In Kern County (CA), we’re trying something new. If we believe Kern County’s current elected officials and corporate power, it’s one of the most conservative places in California. (Yes, there are some.) It’s the heart of California’s petroleum industry. Big
When you’re an organizing leader, these frustrations come up a lot: “We can’t get people to come out to a meeting.” “Why don’t members vote? It’s their own jobs at stake!” “It’s always the same people who do everything.” “Why
Do you ever get this question? “What’s your favorite movie about [your work]?” When people ask me about my favorite movie about organizing, they’ll often also say “I bet you love that movie Norma Rae!” (Depending on the questioner’s age.
Last weekend, I met the present and future of education justice in Utah. Parents, students, organizers and activists came together to find consensus on the most important issues in their communities and build their organizing muscle to win. My privilege
