Roots to power : a manual for grassroots organizing

1. "Power to the People" : basic organizing philosophy and goals

Four arenas and two approaches

Elemental elements : turf, issue, identity, workplace

Two routes to power : community development and social action

Limits and possibilities

Organizing for Power

Ten tools for taking power

Building a power base

2. "Locate & relate. Motivate & integrate. Facilitate & educate. ACTIVATE!"

the role of the organizer

An overview of underlying principles

Insider/outsider upsides and downsides

3. "Can't you hear me knockin?"

Organizing models and methods

Blueprints for action

Who

What

From whom

How

The organizing process

The model : groundwork, organizing committee, recruitment, and formation

4. "Analyze, strategize and catalyze"

issues and strategy

Choosing issues

Organizational mileage considerations

Consistency

Unity

Capacity

Growth

Education

Credit

Resources

Allies

Tactics

Victory

Developing a winning strategy

Cutting and framing the issue : action group, goals and objects, target system, and handles

Conducting a strategic analysis : opposition, support, objective conditions, and SWOT assessment

5. "Moving into action"

Making and carrying out action plans

Tactics

Countertactics and the seven D's of defense

Deflecting

Delaying

Deceiving

Dividing

Denying

Discrediting and Destroying

Timetable

A multiphase action plan

Recruitment, preparation and assessment

Recruitment

Preparation

Assessment

ACORN's campaign against Household Finance / Maude Hurd and Lisa Donner

Background

Household Finance

Building and engaging the base

Building the case

Direct action

Media

Shareholder strategy

Legal action

Wall Street

Legislation

Regulatory strategy

Legal settlement

Conclusion

6. "Keeping it all together"

Organizational development and maintenance

Broadening the base

Leadership development

Characteristics and qualities

Developmental methods

Group products and processes

Composition, contracting, and culture

Decision-making

Membership and leader roles

Conflict

Conducting successful meetings

Making change with COINS

Decision-making structures

Operating policies and procedures

Programming

Staffing

7. "Nuts and bolts, some do's and don'ts"

A short collection

Introduction

Research for organizing / Will Collette

Real clout : rules and tools for winning public policy campaigns / Judith C. Meredith and Catherine Dunham

Using the law for leverage / Mac McCreight

Media relations / Eric Weltman

Using technology for grassroots organizing / Maria Roberts-DeGennaro

Negotiations : using a weapon as a way out / Mark J. Splain

Grassroots community organizations and voting / George Pillsbury

Community-labor coalitions / Louise Simmons

Coalitions and other relations / Tim Sampson

Coalitions : essential tools for organizing / Beth B. Rosenthal and Terry Mizrahi

Memberships and dues / David Beckwith

Dues and grassroots fundraising / Helene O'Brien and Madeleine Adamson

Meetings : grab those details by the tail / Lee Staples