Bill Alberta, Associate Director
Cornell Career Services
Organizing is a grassroots activity. It often starts at the basic level of society among ordinary citizens where all sorts of issues arise. Regardless of their political, economic, religious, or other viewpoint, people who share a common purpose or concern often
organize to achieve that purpose or to address that concern. At the local level, they may work to save a historic building from demolition, build power for a working-class community, or establish zoning regulations for a new development. At the regional, national, or
international level, they may campaign to solve environmental problems, improve health care for children, or bring educational issues to the political forefront. Regardless of the issues or campaigns, they always work for change.
In some instances, issues spring up and committees or groups form to solve a problem and then dissolve when a solution has been reached. In others, the work is an on-going, long-term struggle. While organizing work is sometimes done by people with no training, such
people are often assisted by professional organizers. Then too, much organizing work is initiated and conducted beyond the community level by organizations that employ professional organizers. This guide focuses on the work of this latter group, the full-time,
professional organizers.
Bringing Individuals Together to Gain Power
While organizers work with many different groups of people, they most frequently assist those at the lower end of the economic ladder - the people who historically have had the least power. The issues low-income people face may vary, but include access to health care and
housing, neighborhood safety, education, race relations, economic equity and environmental conditions. Organizers do not make changes directly, but they play a variety of key roles. They serve as educators, trainers, and mentors and are sometimes viewed as agitators as
well. Their job is to harness the energy of individuals and help direct it down a path that will enable the group to achieve its goals. They help develop leaders among ordinary people and train these leaders to create a local organization that will involve increasing
numbers of people and be self sustaining and more powerful over time.
Local to International
Organizing occurs in many places. At the local level, the greatest amount of activity is in big cities-on a block, in a neighborhood, or across a whole metropolitan area. Organizing also takes place in larger arenas-regional, national, or even international- with the
activity often resulting from the expansion of local campaigns.
While local action may involve churches, city councils, schools, or neighborhood associations, it is frequently supported by larger nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to organizing. Professional organizers must be well trained. Their training is often provided
by the nonprofit groups whose work is regional or national in scope. For example, the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) "provides leadership training for nearly 40 organizations representing over 1,000 institutions and one million families." Large groups, such as the
IAF, also provide structure, leadership coordination and collective clout, especially at the political level.
Trends
Several trends have affected the organizing field in recent years:
An increase in citizen activism, spurred by factors such as the decay of our inner cities and the widening gap between the richest and the poorest.
The increased number and strength of nonprofit organizations that support community and national or international organizing, especially through training programs.
The increased globalization of organizing efforts. Advances in communication and transportation have made more visible common problems across the globe and have made it easier for international alliances to form and take action.
Quotes from People in The Field
"During my 33 years of organizing, I have learned that we need to build power among low-to-moderate income people to hold accountable the systems that make important decisions affecting our lives. Using strategies and
techniques taught by the DART Center, our affiliate organizations throughout the country have held political and economic systems accountable and won important victories on a broad set of justice issues. To continue our success, we need motivated and talented
organizers."
- John Calkins, Executive Director, DART (Direct Action and Research Training Center)
"I was organizing for a few years before I knew that there was a field of work, a discipline, and even a job called organizing. Because our career centers do not place us on a track toward this profession, many of us discover
it through a long and winding search, a mentoring relationship, or simply by stumbling upon it through the informal organizing we are already doing."
- Chris Vaeth, Board Secretary, Ghetto Film School
"From our perspective, organizing is about agitating people to come to grips with the consequences of powerlessness. It is about creating a community of people who want to make change in the world. It is about a hardnosed
approach to the systemic and structural forces oppressing and separating people in our society. Issues, campaigns, protests and mass meetings are just the tools and the classrooms for leaders to transform themselves and society."
- Gregory A. Galluzzo, Director, the Gamaliel Foundation
