How To…
Organize for community cultural and economic development
Where to start – five basic steps and five “best principles”
How, and why, to build power – the ability to act together to make change – and the difference between power and service
What we mean when we say our work is “populist” – and how it’s distinct from the better-known elitist/technocratic and pseudo-populist/authoritarian approaches to making change
How to map out the power in a community and find key connections
A worksheet for planning for strong collaboration between organizations
The theoretical framework: how telling stories, building power, and creating value connect and reinforce each other. Graphic designed by Emily Robinson, Studio Two Three.
The role that culture (the ways people make meaning together) and art (deliberately crafted expressions of culture) play in communities developing their wealth and power
How to start working on solving a big overwhelming problem, by “cutting” a precise, organizable, and winnable issue out of it
How to prioritize work that builds power to make change – adapted from Stephen Covey’s "7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
Identify a community center of power
A one-page explanation of “community centers of power” – organizations that are of, by, and for all the people of a community. Graphic designed by Emily Robinson, Studio Two Three.
A list of telltale indicators that an organization is – or is not – a community center of power
Correcting common misunderstandings of community centers of power
Seven key warning signals that an organization might be turning away from its community – and what can be done to turn back
Four simple questions to determine if an organization is accountable to the community it claims to work in
Share stories, run effective meetings, and facilitate community conversations
The history and origins of the story circle: an effective method for sharing stories and finding common ground
Step-by-step instructions for facilitating a story circle: an effective method for sharing stories and finding common ground
How to lead effective organizing and planning meetings
How to lead an effective community conversation on challenging topics
How to facilitate an intimate conversation with a large group of people
Build powerful relationships and develop community leaders
How to meet with someone one-to-one and learn their self-interest – what matters to them, and why they do what they do – the basic building block of community organizing
How to effectively invite people into new and more powerful roles, positions, and areas of work
How to have the tough conversations that help the people we’re working with overcome what’s keeping them from being as powerful as they could be
How to understand public vs. private relationships, and why the difference matters
How to effectively tell your story of self, us, and now
How to meet people where they’re at, based on what matters to them
How to understand accountability and hold each other – and ourselves – accountable for moving our work forward
How to assess people’s interests and levels of involvement, so we can work with them effectively