How to Strategically Organize for a Cause

Mobilizing people isn't enough. You need the right network and a plan.

This article is part of a special series from our fall 2019 climate issue on how you can level up your actions against climate change. Visit the full Climate Action Guide here

Passing legislation requires political muscle, and to develop that we need to organize a movement that brings people into the fold. 鈥淥rganizing means we鈥檙e reaching out to people who are not yet with us, and that鈥檚 hard work,鈥 says Jane McAlevey, an activist and union organizer, about running a successful advocacy campaign. 鈥淲e need to get out of our comfort zones.鈥

Activists often make the same mistake, McAlevey says: 鈥淩ushing into campaigns without asking, 鈥楬ow are we going to win?鈥 鈥 The answer: power. And new allies can help build it. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 how to protect migratory patterns for birds or regulations on air pollution, we can鈥檛 make change in the silo of the environmental movement,鈥 she says. 

So how do you get others to join your cause? McAlevey advises groups to consider whom each member knows in the area you鈥檙e targeting. In other words, sort through your mental Rolodex of the people in your book clubs, sports teams, trade unions, parent-teacher associations, local media, clergy鈥攁nd then chart the connections, mapping how they might be able to help and if they have related concerns. 鈥淒on鈥檛 just rely on who comes to the chapter meeting,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not enough people.鈥 Simultaneously, think about what you specifically want to achieve, and whom you need to influence to get there. 

Once your allies are united, it鈥檚 time to schedule meetings and talk policy with lawmakers. Try to arrange these gatherings in your own community. 鈥淚t can be in a living room or at a synagogue, wherever you want to meet,鈥 McAlevey says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 harder for a policymaker to dismiss you when they鈥檙e actually dealing with people face to face.鈥