GRASSROOTS

GRASSROOTS

GRASSROOTS

TECHNIQUES

GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING

HOW TO START A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN

HOW TO START A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN RELATED TOPICS

GRASSROOTS LINKS

GRASSROOTS RESOURCES

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SECTION 1

GRASSROOTS

A grassroots movement (often referenced
in the context of a political movement)
is one driven by the politics of a
community.

The term implies that the creation of the
movement and the group supporting it are
natural and spontaneous, highlighting the
differences between this and a movement
that is orchestrated by traditional power
structures.

Grassroots movements are often at the local
level, as many volunteers in the community
give their time to support the local party,
which can lead to helping the national party.
For instance, a grassroots movement can lead
to significant voter registration for a
political party, which in turn helps the
state and national parties.

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SECTION 2

TECHNIQUES

Grassroots movements organize and lobby
through procedures including:

hosting house meetings or parties

having larger meetings—AGMs

putting up posters

talking with pedestrians on the street
(often involving informational clipboards)

gathering signatures for petitions

mobilizing letter-writing, phone-calling,
and emailing campaigns

setting up information tables

raising money from many small donors for
political advertising or campaigns

organizing large demonstrations

asking individuals to submit opinions to
media outlets and government officials

holding get out the vote activities, which
include the practices of reminding people
to vote and transporting them to polling
places.

using online social networks to organize
virtual communities

GRASSROOTS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots

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SECTION 3

GRASSROOTS
FUNDRAISING

Grassroots fundraising is a method of
fundraising used by or for political
candidates, which has grown in
popularity with the emergence of the
Internet and its use by US presidential
candidates like Howard Dean and Ron Paul.

Grassroots fundraising is a way of financing
their campaigns for candidates who don't have
significant media exposure, or who are in
opposition to the powerful lobby groups.

It often involves mobilizing grassroots support
to meet a specific fundraising goal or sets a
specific day for grassroots supporters to donate
to the campaign.

Grassroots fundraising
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots_fundraising

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SECTION 4

HOW TO
START A
GRASSROOTS
CAMPAIGN

Campaigns used to be the sole privilege of the powerful, wealthy
and well-connected. The vast majority of Americans were silenced,
able to politically express themselves only by their single vote.

That has changed dramatically. Now anyone with the dedication and
the time can be part of a grassroots campaign and try to make their
country a better place.

Things You'll Need

Flyers

Website

Instructions

1. Decide on a purpose. What is your issue? What is it that you're
trying to accomplish or change? It is crucial that you figure this
out and finalize it before doing anything else.

2. Create a pitch that summarizes your campaign's mission. If you
can't clearly and concisely articulate your goal, there's a good
chance no one else will be able to either and that will absolutely
kill your chance of making an impact on the people.

3. Spread the word. Create flyers to post in neighborhoods and
commercial centers. Pass them out in places where there's lot of
foot traffic. Make sure that all the information that people need
in order to join and support your campaign can be found on the flyer.

4. Create a website. This is an absolutely crucial step. The Internet
is becoming an increasingly more powerful and democratic tool, allowing
people to reach an audience that would otherwise be off-limits to them.
Also, an effective website can dramatically frees up your time, because
it can efficiently communicate all the information about your campaign
for you, leaving you free to focus on other areas of the grassroots
movement.

5. Find a spokesperson. At some point you'll need someone who can be the
voice of your campaign. Similar to the press secretary of any politician,
you'll want to find someone who is articulate, possesses rhetorical skills,
and, of course, agrees with what you're doing. This individual should
eventually handle the majority of media relations.

6. Contact your local, state and federal representatives. Contact them
repeatedly, both by email and phone. When contacting via email, try to
bombard them with emails, as there's a good chance you'll otherwise be
ignored, at least at the state and federal levels. Don't give up, no
matter how discouraging it gets.

7. Raise money. Most grassroots movements can be run inexpensively, but
unless you are wealthy, you'll eventually need outside capital. You can
solicit funds through your website or in person. Some people will be
inclined to donate simply because of the issues you're addressing, but
many others simply won't care. You may need to sell some sort of goods
or services. An easy, common example is a carwash.

8. Hire a CPA. This will save you a lot of headaches and potentially a
lot of money. Because you're a small movement, you can't afford to pay
a lot of taxes. A good CPA will know the ins and outs of the tax code
and how to properly use it for your organization.

How to Start a Grassroots Campaign
http://www.ehow.com/how_4464123_start-grassroots-campaign.html

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SECTION 5

HOW TO
START A
GRASSROOTS
CAMPAIGN
RELATED
TOPICS

How to Start a Fundraising Campaign
http://www.ehow.com/how_7459789_start-fundraising-campaign.html

How to Develop a PR Campaign
http://www.ehow.com/how_2202750_develop-pr-campaign.html

How to Start a Grassroots Movement
http://www.ehow.com/how_2106710_start-grassroots-movement.html

What Is Grassroots Advertising?
http://www.ehow.com/info_8509227_grassroots-advertising.html

How to Kick Start a Charity Campaign
http://www.ehow.com/how_12017332_kick-start-charity-campaign.html

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SECTION 6

GRASSROOTS
LINKS

Build a Grassroots Community Network
http://www.action.org/site/get_involved/build_a_grassroots_community_network/

The Chronicle of Philanthropy
http://www.philanthropy.com/free/articles/v19/i02/02006801.htm

Conservative Grassroots
http://www.conservativegrassroots.org/

Fire Society.com
http://www.firesociety.com/

FundRaisers.com:
http://www.fundraisers.com/ideas/grassroots.html

Fundraising for Community Groups
http://www.cpcwnc.org/Toolbox/fundraising.html

Global Grassroots
http://www.globalgrassroots.org/

Gograssroots.org
http://www.gograssroots.org/

Grassroots.org
http://www.grassroots.org/

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Grassroots Community Development
http://www.international-internships.com/home?page=shop.browse&category_id=16

Grassroots Community Network
http://www.grassroots.org/node/291

Grassroots Community Outreach - FDA
http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm192773.htm

Grassroots Community Resources
http://www.nationalguild.org/resources/grassroots.htm

Grassroots Community Space
http://www.grassrootscommunityspace.com/

GrassRoots Community Television
http://www.grassrootstv.org/

Grassroots Co-op
http://www.firesideeatery.com/grassroots_co-op.htm

Grassroots Leadership College
http://www.grassrootsleadershipcollege.org/

Initiating Grassroots Community Development
http://www.slideshare.net/cdcutrell/initiating-grassroots-community-development

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National Grassroots Advocacy
http://www.nationalgrassroots.org/

Political Grassroots
http://www.politicalgrassroots.org/

Social Ventures
http://www.mikemann.com/blog/2011/01/18/social-venture-consulting-program/

The Solution Project
http://solutionproject.org/

Sustainable South Bronx
http://www.ssbx.org/

Sustaining Grassroots Community-Based Programs
http://www.promoteprevent.org / resources / sustaining-grassroots-co...

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SECTION 7

GRASSROOTS
RESOURCES

Astroturfing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing

Community organizing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_organizing

Grassroots democracy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots_democracy

Narrowcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrowcasting

Public relations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_relations

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