Grassroots Organizing and Movement Building

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Major social change is usually enacted by broad-based people’s movements. Change happens when huge numbers of people want it, and when their efforts to improve their lives, communities and society are organized and strategic. This is why funding grassroots organizing and movement-building should be a core strategy for donors focused on nearly any cause or issue. Unfortunately, this type of work is often overlooked by funders. This brief offers an overview of grassroots organizing and movement-building, important tips and insights for donors new to this work, and recommendations on how donors can give most effectively.

Why Donors Fund Grassroots Organizing and Movement-Building

From poverty to climate change, the people most affected by a problem often have the strongest desire to find solutions. Donors can have enormous impact by backing these agents of change and ensuring they have the financial resources they need. Here are some of the reasons donors fund grassroots organizing and movement-building: 

  • Organizing shifts power. A fundamental goal of grassroots organizing is to build power among people who are marginalized by inequitable or unjust social, economic or political structures. Even in a democratic society, majority support for a particular policy or idea is no guarantee of any political or government action, especially when wealth and power are concentrated among a few. Bringing together ordinary people and aiming their collective energy in support of a shared vision is often the only way to effect real change. 

  • Meaningful change is systemic and sustainable. Most people involved in philanthropy today understand that addressing major societal issues goes far beyond charity. Addressing an issue like poverty, for example, requires addressing the problem’s root causes, not merely its symptoms, and an issue like climate change won’t be solved by individual choices but rather wide-scale political action and structural changes. Good organizing not only shifts power, but also leads to changes that can last beyond a single campaign or initiative. Organizing is too often thought of in the context of individual elections or issues — which can also be important — but effective community organizers seek to build long-term relationships, empower people over many years, and make lasting, systemic change. 

  • People need to learn how to make change happen. One of the most important aspects of grassroots organizing is the simple idea that if people learn that they can come together to solve smaller, local problems, they will be more likely to believe they can solve much bigger problems. Organizing helps to engage more people in the everyday work of politics and civic life. It also helps to build trust and a collective vision within communities, and trains people in important political skills like speaking at meetings, going door to door, and analyzing the power structures of their cities and states. Part of supporting grassroots organizing is supporting the ongoing training and development of new organizers and leaders. Organizations like Community Change play a key role in nurturing such leaders and supporting grassroots groups around the country. Some funders support fellowships for movement leaders or give capacity-building support for the ongoing work of training organizers. 

Key Considerations

For donors thinking about funding grassroots organizing and movement-building, here are some issues to consider:

  • Community leadership is essential. Grassroots organizing must come from the community. The people most impacted by the problem will have the best ideas about solutions that will really work, and their vision should drive organizing and campaigns. People know what their communities need and how best to make it happen. When funding grassroots groups, look for organizations that are truly rooted in the community they are organizing, with authentic community leadership and connections. 

  • Look beyond polarization to where change is possible. Perhaps due to the nature of our presidential elections, Americans tend to think about politics in a highly nationalized way, often ignoring the impactful work happening at city halls and state capitals. Grassroots organizing by its very nature usually takes a more localized approach, as communities look to address their collective problems rather than more abstract national issues. Donors can fund local grassroots groups that link together in broader coalitions and movements. 

  • Movements engage multiple strategies simultaneously. Making smaller changes at the local level can build momentum and movements for bigger goals down the road. Further, grassroots movements are made up of many people and many organizations working in solidarity or coalition. Some groups might engage in direct actions while others gather signatures for ballot referendums. Some will be locally focused while others run statewide or national campaigns. Effective movements engage in many strategies at the same time, and funders can support this multifaceted, coalitional approach to creating change.  

  • Organizing and movement building are long-term, ongoing endeavors. Every election cycle, there is at least one story about a campaign’s amazing grassroots organizing strategy that brought voters out in droves and made the difference in winning an election. But even that kind of immediate, measurable win is often the result of long-term organizing work — from ongoing training for organizers to continuous base-building. True organizing is about the long game; it happens over years, and even decades. Funding grassroots movements means understanding that change takes time, and that watershed moments when change seems to happen quickly are the result of long-term organizing and movement-building. It’s important for funders to give year after year, not just in election years or big “movement moments.” 

  • Every amount helps. For smaller donors, a common question is: How much of a difference is my contribution really making? When it comes to supporting grassroots organizing, every dollar makes an impact. Organizing is hugely under-funded, and even small gifts can make a difference, especially for smaller grassroots groups. Keep in mind that smaller, emerging organizations may be on the front lines of big issues, identifying problems and solutions early and leading the next wave of change. Investments in local groups on the front lines of climate change, for example, can save lives and habitats in the immediate term, and also help critical front-line organizations develop and amplify solutions that may be needed around the world.  

Taking Action

Below are some tips for identifying organizations and institutions doing effective grassroots organizing and movement-building. You can also see our guides on giving for specific causes, many of which highlight grassroots groups doing important work on that issue.

  • Tap into intermediaries. If you don’t already have relationships with nonprofits whose work you trust and admire, it can be hard to figure out where to give. This is especially true when it comes to funding grassroots organizations, which may be local, small and/or working in communities to which donors are not directly connected. Luckily, there are intermediary organizations that do that job for you. They are staffed by experts who have built relationships with grassroots groups and have created strategic giving plans to move donations where they are most needed and can be most effective. Organizations, community foundations and pooled funds like Movement Voter Project, Borealis Philanthropy, Groundswell Fund, Global Greengrants and many others use their experience and connections to move money from donors to vetted, impactful grassroots groups. Our briefs on giving for specific issues provide more information on intermediaries focused on specific causes or communities. 

  • Give multi-year, general operating support. When you find an organization you want to support, giving it unrestricted general operating support means it has the flexibility to use the funds where they are most needed at any given time, rather than only on a specific campaign or program a donor designates as a priority. Plus, giving general operating support signals that you trust the nonprofit to spend the money wisely. It also saves the nonprofit time and administrative work, which means more time and effort can be devoted to the programs at the heart of their mission. Unrestricted funding is especially vital for organizing, where new tactics, ever-evolving challenges and unexpected opportunities require groups to be nimble and adapt quickly. Multi-year funding commitments let organizations budget and plan for the future, which is also essential to effective organizing and movement-building. Donors can also set up smaller recurring gifts, such as monthly gifts, which some nonprofits call sustaining gifts because they are funding nonprofits can count on month after month.

  • Grow your knowledge. Intermediaries and philanthropy-serving organizations provide helpful information on giving for specific issues and communities. Donors can also learn more by following IP’s coverage of grassroots organizing and movement-building, as well as our coverage of the issues where you want to make a difference.  

Have suggestions for improving this brief? Please email us at editor@insidephilanthropy.com.