Grassroots Activism Starter Kit

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If you’re new to grassroots activism and organizing, it can be difficult to know where to begin. How does one go about making social change exactly?

This sounds like a messy question and, indeed, the answer is probably even messier. The fact is that grassroots activism and organizing is, by its nature, an abstract activity that requires knowledge of social behaviors, government institutions, logistics, and so much more.

Luckily, most people know much more than they may realize about these topics. The real trick in grassroots activism is to understand how to use this information to formulate a strategy to make that change happen – and then to execute that strategy.

But, before you organize your first march on Washington, you might want to get a handle on the very basics of social change – including how to plan meetings and actions, how to communicate your vision for change clearly, and how to persuade the opposition.

With the right tools and knowhow, then, anyone is capable of effective grassroots activism and organizing. Below are three resources that, taken together, can put you on the right track to making real long-lasting change in their communities.

1) Organizing for Social Change 4th Edition, Midwest Academy Manual for Activists

Organizing for Social Change (Amazon affiliate link) is the textbook for grassroots activists. The manual (and it is a manual) is organizing 101 – no small feat!

It is impossible for a single book to serve as a resource that applies to all situations and all advocates, but this book comes as close as one can get (and it’s easily forgiven for what is not included).

While the book is geared toward local organizers, the authors manage to generalize enough that the examples given should be directly applicable, easily adaptable, or serve as useful inspiration for activists at any level on any issue.

Readers will gain a solid understanding of how to work with communities, plan a grassroots campaign, and engage bureaucracy effectively.

Still not sure? Read a more in-depth review here.

2) How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

If you haven’t read it yet, you’ve likely at least heard of this book. How to Win Friends & Influence People (Amazon affiliate link) by Dale Carnegie has firmly established itself as the quintessential “self-help” book.

Yet far from being a series of feel-good phrases and commonsensical ideas, the book offers two very important things for grassroots activists:

1) concise, actionable principles that can improve communication skills, and

2) the book offers readers a glimpse into an important era when the Western world was just beginning to explore behavioral sciences.

The book was born from a particular phenomenon among a small group of people at the start of the 20th century. Carengie and his contemporaries such as Napoleon Hill were searching for some sort of ‘formula for success’ in a time marked by the Great Depression.

Carengie’s book tapped into the basic understanding that how we deal with people is key to our success; and, dealing with people can be difficult.

The book’s guidance on communication captured people’s attention so effectively that the book became one of the first-ever international best sellers when it was published in 1936.

The book has since been translated to almost every written language and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide since its publication.

There is a reason for this – the principles laid out in the book work.

Every activist and organizer should be aware of these principles for working with allies, opposition, and everyone in between and beyond.

Still not sure? Read some important background here.

3) Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others, John A. Daly

There is no doubt that John Daly knows his stuff when it comes to advocacy. His command and use of real-world examples of persuasion are simply unforgettable in his book Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others (Amazon affiliate link).

In fact, Street Civics recommends this book simply on the basis of it being a solid collection of examples to inspire activists and organizers.

People often ask for real-world examples of adovcacy, activism, and organizing. While almost every book on these subjects discusses a few examples – they tend to be obscure or even from the author’s own life, which can seem uninspired.

Daly’s book will give you a plethora of examples to comb through as you look for creative ways to tell your story and change people’s minds.

Some activists might think social change is all about protests and public actions, the truth is that much of the real work is communication-based and about people-to-people engagements.

Street Civics considers this book foundational knowledge and, while activists may be itching for examples of successful social movements, we consider that an advanced topic (check back for resources on this in the future).

To really set yourself up for success, you’ll want a good handle on persuasion before you start thinking about mass movements. Daly’s book is a good start.

After the basics…

Again, activists and organizers may be gung ho for mass movement building, but starting out with the basics is essential for success in the long run.

If you really, truly, madly, deeply want to change your community and the world around you, we recommend you start with the resources above.

Keeping checking back for resources to build upon this knowledge…