You may dream about changing the world on a global level: perhaps your organization’s mission is to provide underprivileged kids with quality educational opportunities.
But transformation begins locally–with an after-school program or a new community center.
Linking up with local groups will help you make that positive, lasting impact on a community.
Mutual Benefits
Your campaign will profit by joining forces with local organizations. They can
- help you better understand community needs,
- provide a base of local volunteers (think: fundraising, door-knocking, and tabling) for shared campaigns,
- assist you in navigating local resources, and
- give you fresh ideas for your next campaign.
Local groups will also gain. Your organization may be able to
- provide financial resources, or political or legal clout,
- give new energy to a long-term grassroots campaign, or
- provide a framework for connecting local groups to one another for idea and resource exchange.
Working Together
Which local groups do you want to contact? Choose to work with a group because it is located near you or because it’s community is in need. Take time to explore each group’s mission to be sure it’s a match.
You can find many groups by searching the Web, the local weekly newspaper, or the phone book, or by word of mouth. Contacting the group is straightforward: use email or phone, attend its event or meeting, or get introduced by a contact you have in the area.
Building trust can take time, but it’s essential and can prevent an insider/outsider dichotomy from forming. Always be ready to listen carefully to local organizers and community members. You may also want to invite active community members to speak to your organization.
By joining together, our voices are heard and our intentions become reality!
