Our Tactic: Relational organizing
What is it?
Relational organizing centers on training volunteers to reach out to friends and family and share personal stories around the issues that matter to them most.
It’s about strengthening relationships and finding common ground by authentically listening to the views and concerns of the other person and knowing how to respond.
How can relational organizing further your organization’s mission?
Reach people unlisted by the voter file
Recent studies have shown that at least 11% of the adult citizenry is unlisted, an additional 12% are mislisted and 2 in 5 African Americans and Latinx are unreachable. You cannot expand the electorate if you just focus on people in the voter file.
Makes biggest impact on voter turnout of any channel
Study after study show that people are several times more likely to take action when asked by a friend than a stranger. The messenger matters more than ever in this polarized political environment and relational messages cut through the noise.
Grow membership and build long-term power
Unlike other organizing tactics that border on mobilizing tactics, relational organizing builds long term power in communities by strengthening long-term relationships within communities. Done well, this will organically grow your organization’s membership base.
It’s easy to start and there are no financial costs
Relational organizing uses the technology and methods of communications you already use every day (phone, computer, face-to-face, etc.) You’ll be having conversations with people you already know and can do it from anytime, anywhere.
How do you run a successful program?
Invest in volunteers and training
Everyone from organizing directors to field organizers to volunteer leaders can benefit from the latest advances in relational organizing training and scale your program to the fullest.
Use tools that don’t get in your way
Your tools should be simple and flexible enough to keep the focus on outreach. The realities of every organization are different and pencil and paper outreach lists might be the best option for some of your volunteers.
Our training and tools can help scale your program
It’s free for non-profits & 501c4s and affordable for progressive candidates
Benefit from our experience training 75,000 people
We know that every organization is different, but we’ve seen enough to know which training approaches work and which ones don’t.
Guide and track volunteers with our app
Assign volunteers an action to take with their friends. They’ll be prompted in the app to reach out to their list and track the results of the outreach.
Inform and equip organizers
Organizers use our app to recruit volunteers, help those volunteers grow their lists of personal connections, and help them reach out on a regular basis.
See what’s driving your program
The backend of organizing directors provides transparency for what’s driving your program and we can help consult on what’s working.
Let’s work together
Leverage our relational organizing expertise and resources at your organization.