BACKGROUND

Earthroots is requesting proposals from consultants to assist in the development of a comprehensive market assessment of the Tools for Change program.

Earthroots is a GTA-based grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the preservation of wilderness, wildlife and watersheds in Canada, with a focus on [...]

Check out this nice little brochure for people interested in designing creative direct actions.   The booklet was developed by  myself (Jessica Bell) and Joshua Kahn Russell, as well as Ruckus Society staff Sharon Lungo and Megan Swoboda.  (And thank you [...]

This excellent post was written by Kyle Henri Andrei and funded by the Annie E Casey Foundation.

Advocacy organizations often encourage their grassroots supporters to influence politicians and corporations using different methods, from promoting a cause or opposing legislation to challenging ad campaigns or policies. A [...]

On Jan. 26, 2012, thirty folks sat in a circle and shared what they were most passionate about – bicycles, pets, potlucks, green energy, climate change, gender rights, First Nations solidarity, changing the world.

But passion without limits can lead to burn-out. We’re all susceptible. [...]

VSO is an international development agency that relies on volunteers.  The organization has developed a beautifully designed guide called “Participatory Advocacy” to help its network of volunteers harness the power of advocacy. Thanks Jen Muldoon from Earthroots for sending this guide [...]

Change.org is one of those advocacy organizations that specializes in gathering signatures online in order to secure victories for people and causes alike.   The organization is very good at it what it does, and its success is being recognized.  Non-profits can pay Change.org to [...]

Seeds of Change has developed a neat consensus decision-making guide.  The practical guide covers the basics, including:

an overview of the consensus process consensus in small and large groups and trouble-shooting issues, such as dealing with difficult people.

The one small issue [...]

This post comes directly from Beth Kanter, social change guru and trainer extraordinaire.

I donated to Students for Free Tibet during their fundraising drive in 2008.  SFT’s fundraiser, Melanie Raoul, walked up to me (and everyone else at this training we [...]

The Democracy Center has just published a free downloadable 55 page guide called “Beating Goliath: a resource for corporate campaigners.”

I think this “Beating Goliath” guide does a very good job at selling the strategy of corporate campaigning and also explaining [...]

This Tools for Change Handout on Facilitation was compiled by myself (Jessica Bell). The content was developed by Leah Henderson and I while we were preparing for the two workshops on facilitation we hosted earlier this year.   There’s a lot of facilitation guides [...]

Paul Baker from Greenpeace Canada offered a few hours on the basics of how to do a good scout in an informative “Action Scouting” workshop a couple of weeks ago.  “Scouting” is an important role for any organizer prepping a public event, media [...]

On October 15, Jen Angel from Aid and Abet Booking, led a workshop on media strategy 201. Since this workshop was geared to more experienced activists, Jen didn’t cover the basics, like writing press releases and media advisories.  (All that valuable [...]

It’s rare to find a guide written for campaigners on how to transform industry sectors.  Well, here it is.  Written by Nicholas Hildyard and Mark Mansley of the Cornerhouse, this 200-page guide summarises the strategies  that have proven to be effective.  Although it’s [...]

Rabble has developed an Activist Toolkit on their website, rabble.ca.  The Toolkit uses a wiki-style format, which means people like you can download and upload information for other activists.  The Toolkit is Canada-centric.

Recent publications include:

- a guide on public engagement, [...]

NOI organizes trainings every summer on online organizing, online communications, political technology, new media, and testing/evaluation. They are working with a wide array of U.S. state-based partners for these “Organizers Summits.”  The goal is to share share some of the lessons learned by organizations [...]

Spitfire Strategies has released a campaign planning guide called “The Just Enough Planning Guide A Roadmap to Help Nonprofits Reach Their Campaign Goals” Spitfire Communications Strategies“.

The author, Grimm, sells the guide as having the minimal amount of information you need to effectively [...]

House parties typically involve someone in the campaign or organization – think board member or active volunteer – hosting a one to two hour party at their house to raise money and recruit volunteers and allies to the cause.    People are encouraged to bring [...]

Marshall Ganz is one great social movement elder.  He organized with Caser Chavez to build the United Farm Workers of America Union in the 1960s. He helped set the grassroots strategy that underpinned Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.  And Ganz has also spent the [...]

Chris Rose’s Campaign Strategy
Based in the UK, Chris Rose, an ex-Greenpeace campaigner, writes easy-to-understand and insightful books, has a great resource-intensive website, and still issues frequent newsletters on the topic of campaign strategy for activists.  Most of his work is [...]

Doyle Canning and Patrick Reinsborough

Insightful book on the power of narrative in campaigning. Offers tools on how to apply techniques like story telling, framing, and messaging to your work. Geared to people with experience doing media and campaigning.

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Smart Meme
Based in SF and Boston, but operating nationally, Smart Meme specializes in teaching activists how to harness the power of the media and story-telling.  They also teach campaign strategy.  Smart Meme has wicked smart and dedicated trainers.

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The Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training is a fantastic group committed to helping groups raise money, survive, and thrive. Offers trainings, and produces articles, and a fundraising journal. For a sample, read founder Kim Klein’s article “How to raise $2500 in 10 days”. [...]

Through their leadership academy, SPIN provides training in strategic communications for activists and non-profits at very reasonable prices.  Based in California, but their resources and advice are relevant for people across North America.

SPIN’s guide books are useful and practical. Check [...]

Greencorps
Pre-eminent year-long training and internship organizing field school and placement program for young graduates who seek careers in the environmental movement. Very U.S. centric, however, nothing’s stopping you from taking those skills and heading north. Many leaders of U.S. environmental NGOs [...]

The Progressive Communicators Network offers practical website training, advice, and guides to help harness the power of the media, from website 2.0, to media justice, to media strategy. Celia Alario works through the Progressive Communicators Network, and she is awesome.

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The Change Agency is located in Australia so the workshops are not super accessible for Canadians, however, the website contains an amazing amount of useful information, including case studies, training guides, resources, and more.

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The Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO, pronounced “C-2″) is a racial-justice organization dedicated to building a social-justice movement led by people of color. The organization was established in 1980 as a training and resource center that promotes and sustains direct-action organizing in [...]