TOPICS:

I. Plan a Campaign for Social Change Before You Start It    II. Build Awareness and Get Supporters        III. Collaborate Effectively and Form Coalition     IV.Identify your Target Audience and Mobilize Actions Directed at Them    V. Recruit and Manage Volunteers     VI. Keep Your Movement Organized     VII.Maintain a Social Movement’s Momentum After an Initial Success   

Before You Do Anything Else

Step 1.

Define your long-term vision for change. Try and narrow it down enough to encourage success, or a series of successes, but not so much that this success is merely symbolic.

Step 2.

Define your short-term goals. A good short-term goal is… 

SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Framed.

Step 3.

Begin identifying the resources available to help you reach your goal.

For example, who can you work with? Collaboration is essential to success, and duplication of efforts hampers it. So take the time to research who else is working for the change that you are trying to achieve, and get in contact with them.

For more on this, check out our guide to coalition building, some tools and tactics for more effective collaboration, recruiting and managing volunteers and fundraising. 

 

Step 4.

Narrow down what your most important resources are by identifying the audiences you’ll be targeting. Who will you have to engage in order to create the change you want to see?

You will probably be directing your campaign at two main audiences:

- Your participants

Your constituency consists of your supporters - the people who you want to engage with your cause and with the actions that you believe will create change. They could be your peers (people you go to school with) or citizens in general. The more you narrow it down, though, the easier it will be to come up with a the right words to get them up out of their chairs! Before you can expect your constituency to grow, make sure as many people as possible know about what you’re doing (see our guide to awareness building!).

- Your target audience

These are the people who have the power to create the change you want to see. It could be a president, any other elected official or group of elected officials, shareholders of a corporation, executives at a corporation, or any other group with access to levers of power. Get to know this group well once you’ve identified it, because you’ll need to figure out what drives them to take action in order to be successful.

Step 5. 

Power is about what you have and what the individuals/groups/institutions you’re interacting with have.

How can you get more resources- enough to shift the balance of power between, on the one hand, you and your constituency and, on the other, your target audience? What might you have that they need? Brainstorm!

I.E...

In our case study on the Tunisian online activists who used their media savvy (resources) to attract international support, they grew a constituency that included well-known international human rights organizations. This global constituency had more leverage over the power wielders (target audience!) in Tunisia, and together they were able to get a student activist released from prison.

Step 6.

Turn this brainstorming into a theory for how the actions you launch will create the change you want to see. (Also known as a theory of change!)

Basically, don’t start planning a lot of tactics before answering this question:

How will everything that we do from this point on create the change that we want to see?

 

Step 7.

In order to figure out which actions will fit best into your theory of how you’ll create change, first make sure you understand the system that you are looking to influence. Talk to as many people as you can who are inside of this system. What drives them to make decisions? What are their sources of incoming revenue? Are there any disagreements at the top? Might anyone be upset at the how things are being done?

Step 8.

Draw out the tactics you will use. For the most part, tactics are pre-planned in a timeline that builds momentum over the months. But to a certain extent they are also created "on the go" to take advantage of situations as they arise.

It pays to constantly be aware of the shifting political framework, and be prepared to change one's strategies and tactics accordingly. (For more, check out our guides on mobilizing people to action).

I.E...

Egyptian pro-democracy activists had been hard at work for years before an uprising began in nearby Tunisia. They were planning on protesting anyways on the 25th of January in 2011 but events in Tunisia created an opportunity to expand the scope of their police day demonstration, and they took that opportunity.

Tip!

A tactic can push on those with access to the levers of power, for example a sit in or protest, or it can pull resources away from them, for example a boycott or strike. Check out this list of 198 tactics for non-violent action from the Albert Einstein Institution.

If you aren't safe and secure when using digital technologies for social change, especially in a more repressive environment, then you are minimizing your chances of success before even beginning. Read through our guides on digital security. Also check out our how tos on tactics for accessing blocked websites. 

 

Step 9.

When defining the timeline of your campaign, keep in mind that it will be made of peaks, small successes where you reach short-term goals, and valleys, lulls or small failures. After each you will have to regroup, reevaluate your resources, your audiences and your tactics, and then move forward.

It may look something like this:

What does each peak and valley correspond to for your own campaign? How will you build on momentum after a success and keep supporters engaged after, or during a lull. Here are some tools and tactics for maintaining supporter engagement. 

Step 10.

 

Delegate responsibility. Who will lead?

Check out how in the below diagram there isn’t just one leader making all the decisions and communicating them to everyone else. Instead, there are lots of leaders. And yet they are all connected to one another in a structured, and clearly defined, way.

The people in the middle may head up smaller teams with certain responsibilities. Everyone is a leader, but they are all coordinated and operating with a shared purpose and strategy. 

Tip!

Make choices about who will lead based on peoples’ different skill sets. Make sure to give people clear roles (you’re good at x, so were putting you in charge of x!), to clearly define how you will communicate with one another and to revisit your shared vision frequently.

Step 10.

Congrats! You should now have a plan in place for targeting the right people in order to change the balance of power so that you can effect change. The decisions you made as you followed these steps will most likely evolve over time, as your resources change, so keep coming back to them over the course of your campaign and readjusting as necessary!

 

Build Awareness and Get Supporters

Step 1.

To move others in your direction you have to understand them, work within their behavior instead of trying to change it, and adapt your tactics and messages to them. Figure out the types of people that will be most receptive to your campaign and get to know them. Then approach them where they are already getting and sharing information. (Chances are high that this is happening on Facebook).

I.E...

When Esra’a al Shafei was recruiting new activists to campaign on behalf of then-imprisoned Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, she wrote personal messages to friends and friends of friends on Facebook, identifying people close to her and Kareem’s age, who would be more likely to identify with her and his story and then more likely to take action. If you’re a student, start by talking to other students.

Step 2.

Choose your medium. Find your potential participants where they already are! Here are some examples of mediums they may be using:

Facebook: There are four main ways to reach people on Facebook. For more, see our guides here.

- Groups

- Fan pages

- Advertisements

- Reach your friends, their friends and their friends’ friends with messages

Twitter: Here are a few ways to find people on Twitter. For more, see our guide here.

- Twitter lists allow you to find groups of people by interest

- Hashtags allow you to zero in on conversations relevant to your cause

- Identify specific online influencers and to get them interested in what you’re doing

Other social networks (what’s most popular in your country?)

Geo-location tools

Mobile phones

Photo sharing services

Classrooms, parties, public discussions, film screenings

Do combine your online efforts with analog steps like flyering town squares and posting on bulletin boards!

Tip!

At schools, universities and colleges try to work with existing clubs, and promote your events and activities widely through the available bulletin boards, student publications and community radio station.

Tip!

The key to getting into the classroom is finding supportive teachers. They will get you in the door!

Step 3.

What is your story, anyways? Have at-hand a story about yourself and your campaign that is:

Structured according to a challenge, a choice and an outcome

Authentic enough to elicit emotion (hint: what kind of emotions trigger action? Try and communicate a sense of urgency, even anger, but not so much that people feel disheartened instead of hopeful and optimistic that they can make a difference.

Step 4.

When telling your story, start narrow and get large:

I became involved when/because…
Our movement began when/.because…
We (the world, the country) have an opportunity to act now because…and if we do this is what the future will look like…

 

Tip!

Never, ever, ever forget to tailor your story depending on who you’re talking to! Shape it so that they start to think of them selves as already a member of your team by highlighting a set of challenges or values that you and your campaign have in common with the audience you’re addressing.

Tip!

You can post different messages on Facebook for different audiences!

Step 5.

Slogans and symbols, powerful motivating factors for people, must be easily understood and quickly conveyed for maximum effectiveness. Choose your slogans carefully to encapsulate your strategies clearly. Think “No nukes,” or “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” Find great artists to work with, who will turn your 1000 words into that one powerful image!

Return again and again in your message to your slogans. Include your logo in every visual communication. Also include information for how people can contact you!

Step 6.

When you have asked others to join you and they’ve said yes, remember that your new relationship with them is an exchange – they might bring new resources to your campaign, but you’re giving them a leadership role and ownership of the campaign within the parameters that you’ve laid out.

Step 7.

There is no stronger ally than the converted. Nurture your newest supporters not just by offering leadership roles but also by greeting one commitment (yes I’ll “like” your Facebook page!) with another commitment (ok ill tell 5 friends about the page!).

Step 8.

Don’t gain new supporters without documenting it! Who are they? How’d they find out about you? Use tools like Facebook insights and Google analytics to track as much information as you can.

Step 9.

As much as is possible, follow up with new supporters. If they committed to taking an action, confirm that they’re still planning on it, then confirm that they did it- and express your gratitude!.

Tip!

Using Facebook “as your page” (click the option at the top right when you are viewing the page as an admin) allows you to see new “likes” as if they were friend requests. If you’re growing at a small rate then it’s still possible to follow up with all your page’s new likes!

Step 10.

Look beyond citizens to other groups that you can work with. For example, other activist groups, non-profits and even political parties. And don’t just work with one political party, work with them all and make them compete for you.

Collaborate Effectively and Form Coalitions

Step 1.

The campaign that you are bringing other activists and organizations into should be clearly defined and visible. They should understand why they are joining forces with you. What do you want the final result to be and what are the steps you will take to get there?

Step 2.

What is your timeline? Depending on how short or long term your campaign will be, you might want to create a more temporary council of some sort instead of a coalition.

Sept 3.

When you think about it, you may be surprised at how many allies you have in your community. Groups, institutions, businesses and individuals who share some of the same interests as you are all people who you could be working with. Make a list of possibilities.

Step 4.

Once you have identified organizations with similar goals, research them. Take notes. Educate yourself before you contact anyone. Know the projects that the organization is working on, the projects it previously worked on, and how the organization may fit within your campaign.

Step 5.

Don't neglect “strange bedfellows,” or people whose politics may differ from yours but whose goals may be aligned with those of your campaign in at least the short term.  You may be surprised at how frequently diverse groups can come together over a single issue. For example, read about the ‘”strange bedfellows” campaign to fight telecom immunity.

Tip!

You are more likely to be successful if the group of people brainstorming your strategy and tactics is itself from a diverse background, as one of them is more likely to see a situation and entirely novel way, and come up with an entirely novel solution.

Step 6.

Make contact. Reach out to them using whatever form of communication (a visit, a phone call, an e-mail) you think is most appropriate based on the group’s access to and fluency with technology.

Mention what you’ve learned in your research and why you think your goals and their goals overlap. You have already defined the steps that your campaign will consist of, so show them how they can fit into your timeline by presenting it in a clear and concise manner.

Tip!

A formal and public coalition can be more trouble than it’s worth. Consider working in coordination with other NGOs in a more off-the-record, implicit way.

Step 7.

Set up an event for everyone who has signed on to meet each other. Allow each person to talk about his or her project and discuss how the coalition is going to operate.

Step 8.

Follow up. Get in contact again with the groups you met with to summarize the conversation you had and to emphasize the next steps.

Step 9.

Create a steering group or coordinating committee made up of a small core of individuals who are willing and able to devote more time and energy than others.

If you are one of these people, accept your own leadership position. If you are not in this group, support them where you can, and offer them your best advice. Let them make decisions for the group, so that your work can move forward efficiently.

Step 10.

Trust one another.

Step 11.

To facilitate this trust, make it as easy as possible for everyone to be as transparent as possible. Use tools that are helpful for collaboration, like Google documents (good because if anyone accesses the document while signed into Gmail you can see it).

Step 12.

Create a collective calendar with each organization’s different meetings and events so that anyone can attend anyone else’s gatherings. Make sure no events conflict with each other!

Tip!

Consensus is incredibly hard to achieve. Consider loosening how you define it – can you declare consensus reached even if not 100% of your group agrees? Should you make a 2/3 rule?

Identify Your Target Audience and Mobilize Actions

Your actions are informed by your strategy, so by the time you begin you should have already articulated your short and long term goals, identified your potential members and target audience, your theory of change, and evaluated the resources available to you in order to decide which actions will be most effective.

This guide will lay out a few of the actions at your disposal. For more variety, check out this list of 198 tactics for non-violent action from the Albert Einstein Institution.

Step 1.

When choosing a tactic, base it on observations about the current political environment, and put yourself in the shoes of the people you’re trying to influence. Choose tactics that their natural allies will want to embrace.

Step 2.

Any tactic should:

1. Be strategic – in other words make sure that you can see clearly how it will give you leverage over the people or groups that you want to influence and take you towards your goal;

2. Strengthen your organization by attracting and engaging new people;

3. Make the people who are already involved more effective by providing learning experiences and other added resources

Tip!

It doesn’t matter how many people you compel to attend your action, if you don’t obtain a way to remain in contact with them then you’ve lost a big opportunity to increase the capacity of your organization! Get their cell phone numbers!

Step 3.

Set specific goals for each of the above. How many new supporters will you have found by the end of this tactic? What specific skills are you looking to improve?

Step 4.

With this in mind, choose a tactical plan. Here are some examples:

Persuade People

- Address individual actions into your campaign by pointing out that people can join by making changes on the smallest of scales.

- Big groups like Amnesty International or Avaaz have used petitions, postcards, and letters effectively. Unless they are mass and professionally organized, though, they tend to not catch the attention of politicians. So if you are going to proceed with them make sure you use the opportunity to build up your list of prospective volunteers and donors- those names and phone numbers are useful for more than just forwarding to a politician!- and try partnering with a larger, international organization.

- Take polls and publicize the results. At least when it comes to the portion of your audience that is online, you can implement free and easy polls using tools like Facebook’s question feature for pages and Survey Monkey.

Protest

Mass mobilization is a lot of work and makes an impact on those participating but seldom moves politicians when undertaken in isolation. You can leverage the power of your protests by asking to sit down with the politicians before/after the big event. They are more inclined to listen when they know many others back you.

Tip!

Insert the positive and celebratory in your mass demonstrations. Include lots of music and arts, and less speaking.

Theatre, theatrics and flashmobs are less threatening than many other ways to deliver a message. They’re also more likely to attract the mass media and the unconverted. Examples of this kind of activity include giant puppets, stilt walkers and other "carnival-like" props, plays, concerts, comedians, videos, CDs, games, street acts, art shows, short videos, bizarre stunts and other creative events.

Civil disobedience and non-cooperation tactics

Civil disobedience is breaking the law for a greater good. Non-obedience is not doing what you normally would.

Boycotts and girlcotts: A boycott, like a strike, is a tactic of last resource, - it should only follow at the end of a long campaign to allow the guilty party to do the right thing. A "girlcott" is preferential purchasing from those we wish to reward for their good actions. With both, you are using the resources you have (your purchasing power) as tools.

Sit-ins, occupations, strikes, walk-outs and labor withdrawals are effective actions to change an injustice because they hit the economy. They are also hard to organize because participants can face very heavy penalties for being involved. Participants can at times face threats, physical harm, jail time, job and income loss, and seizure of their homes and assets. Slow-downs, work-to-rule and work inefficiently campaigns are effective and less risky variations on this theme. Tread carefully, and work with organized groups (unions, political parties) on these actions.

Step 6.

Review your theory of change and your timeline once more. Make sure the tactics you have identified fit with your plan.

Recruit and Manage Volunteers

Recruiting…

Step 1.

First, take some time to assess the needs of your organization and how you could use the help of volunteers. What type of support are you looking for?

Direct-service volunteers provide hands-on services such as general office support, serving as translators, helping with events, and soliciting donations.

Skilled/pro-bono volunteers are companies or individuals volunteering their professional skills like web design, accounting, and marketing.

Step 2.

What type of commitment you would like volunteers to make. One time only? Ongoing? Draft a post and an email calling for volunteers, and include a description of your organization or campaign and what the volunteer's responsibilities would be, as well as the specific skills and time commitment needed. You can then use this post on various platforms and social media outlets to recruit volunteers.

Step 3.

Check out the different tools and platforms available for sharing volunteer opportunities:

- Add your organization to Idealist and post listings for volunteer opportunities. Idealist is a well-established and respected platform “where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a better world.”

- Create a profile on Jumo, where anyone can add an organization as long as it has an EIN (Employer Identification Number), so check and make sure a supporter hasn’t already added your group

- If you are in the U.S., set up a profile on VolunteerMatch

- Other sites that may be useful:

- Causecast

- Sparked (formerly The Extraordinaries)

- Care2

- Do Something 

- Changents

- All For Good

Play around and see what sites you find easy to navigate and would best help and be most useful to your organization.

Tip!

When adding pertinent information to your listing, it’s very important to add keywords because this is how people searching for opportunities will find your listing.

Step 4.

Before you join a slew of social networking platforms to post opportunities, look at your existing networks, online presence and web strategy.

- Ask your friends and acquaintances. Personal requests are far more effective than anything else.

- Leverage existing Twitter and Facebook accounts to address your needs.

Your requests should be direct and clear about what type of volunteer help you need, such as “Looking for volunteers to help us at our upcoming event on [date]. Can you help? E-mail us at [contact info]" or “Can you help us spread the word about our petition?”

Tip! 

Tap networks like church groups and unions etc. to see if they want to do what you're doing.  

Step 5.

Remember that e-mail blasts to your list of supporters are a great way to reach out and find volunteers. Check out our how-to guide on e-mail organizing for some best practices. Remember to craft a subject line and e-mail body that is clear and uses language encouraging recipients to take action (and volunteer). Make it clear that you are not soliciting for donations but rather that you are looking for your supporters’ help and expertise.

Step 6.

Hopefully, people will see your postings and respond that they would like to volunteer with your group. Respond promptly to volunteer requests and provide additional information and details. Anytime someone says they'll help out, ask them if they've got any friends who might want to join too.

Step 7.

Take the time to carefully interview and screen potential volunteers.

Volunteers take up a lot of time for the coordinators, so have a careful screening process to help weed out the ones that aren’t likely to stay for long. If someone wants to volunteer, begin by meeting with them for 15-30 minutes to talk about the organization, learn what kinds of things they are interested in doing, and determining if there is a good fit. The interview also gives you an opportunity to assess the needs of the volunteer, and whether they might be more work than they are worth.

After the interview, send them away with a packet of information and ask them to call back soon if they are still interested in volunteering. This may select some out the people who would be poor fits out of the process.

Managing…

Step 8.

Once you have selected volunteers:

-It's a good idea to explain the vision, the plans and how they'll be part of the team

-It's a great idea to give volunteers new and greater responsibilities as they prove themselves over time.

-As important: have a plan in place for how you will train them. 

Step 9.

Devise a plan for who will be responsible for supervising volunteers and working on volunteer retention. This position is usually called a Volunteer Coordinator. Also invest in your best (capable and faithful) volunteers by rewarding them with extra amounts of training.

Don’t be afraid to ask someone to leave when they become significantly more work than they contribute.

Step 10.

A key skill for any youth organization is to manage a high turnover of volunteers. This boils down to essentially good organization and records.

Many NGOs who are fortunate enough to have an office staffed by volunteers, keep a log of some sort by the reception/volunteer desk. The log is used as an ongoing record of who has phoned, what follow-up is required, and what action has been taken. It is also used to take notes about what other jobs are in process, and what still needs to be done. You can do this using Google Documents.

Make sure to include a column indicating who will do what, and another to check off when a job has been completed. Along with the log, you should also maintain a manual for volunteers, complete with a series of relevant volunteer job descriptions.

Written communications and good record-keeping can go a long way in keeping every volunteer informed about the latest developments, and steering them in the right direction when they are wondering what needs to be done.

Step 11.

It’s a good idea to assign each volunteer to a team and a clearly defined role. Job descriptions should include at minimum the following:

-Title

-Purpose

-Responsibilities (including reporting)

-Skills and knowledge required

- Required time commitment per week or month, location, benefits and a good job description.

Sometimes additional resources are useful to attach to the job description, such as postering locations, message scripts, etc.

Step 12.

Hold events and gatherings for your volunteers. This way they meet the others, build friendships and feel part of a larger team.

Hold a volunteer meeting, bringing a group of volunteers together to learn a specific set of skills. For your own sake, try to schedule the training of volunteers together rather than individually. Of course, some volunteers play a very specialized role in the organization and will require one on one attention.

Hold a work party, similar a volunteer meeting except the goal is to accomplish a certain task. This is a great way to provide time for having fun with the people who care about the same things and also getting things done.

Step 13.

Since they are not paid for their valuable contributions, recognition and rewards is an important aspect of volunteering for most people. Everyone wants to know that what they are doing is important, a critical component of the overall organizational goals, and it is the coordinator's job to let them know. Always thank your volunteers. Again and again. Praise them when they do a good job. Write them nice thank-you notes. Whenever possible, thank them publicly- in your newsletter, on your web site, during your events. Give your volunteers titles. They're free, they convey information about the volunteer's role, and they can be a source of pride for many volunteers.

Reward your volunteers when possible with small things like bus tickets, parking money, beautiful posters, t-shirts, presents and social events or parties.

Step 14.

Recruitment is an ongoing job for the volunteer coordinator - whenever someone expresses interest in your work, it is an opportunity to recruit a volunteer.

Other good places to recruit volunteers are at information tables, rallies, educational events, meetings and anytime you are speaking.

The sign-up sheet is a useful tool to use, and should include at least a name, phone numbers, email address and interests.

 Keep Your Movement Organized

Step 1.

The heart of any effective organization is its people. Good contacts management is critical, and it pays to take the time to organize your contacts meticulously, and to keep these records up to date.

This means at minimum, keeping a master list complete with name, email, cell phone numbers, Twitter and/or Facebook profiles.

Better yet, also include profession, skills, volunteer interests and a record of their contributions.

Tip!

Don't let any old volunteer manage these lists for you. Make sure the keeper of the lists is reliable and accurate.

Step 2.

Create mirrors of everything important – your list should be on numerous hard drives and in numerous places in the cloud. An organization's list is its most valuable resource. It should be protected and also be considered confidential. BACK UP your contacts list regularly!

I.E...

Egyptian organizers saved each others’ names and contact information to Google Documents as well as offline in case they lost access to Facebook or the internet. For more, see our guide on preparing for loss of access to the web.

Step 3.

Collect email addresses from everyone you can, phone someone to get their new address when the old one no longer works, and back up your list frequently.

Step 4.

Keep lots of "lists" of groups of people. For example, one for your membership, another for your steering committee, another for other folks interested in your work.

Step 5.

Phone trees are an extremely useful tool to convey complicated information, reach those without email, and quickly rally the troops. They do, however, require appointing someone a Phone Tree Coordinator.

A phone tree is a pyramid structure that starts with the coordinator calling several others, and giving them the information to pass along. In turn, they phone those on their list, who pass it on to others, and so on, until the entire list has been called.

Each caller can normally contact from three to ten others. As the tree spreads out, and each participating member calls more, the number of people who can be reached grows exponentially- in other words, really fast!

Tip!

Consider using a tool like Frontline SMS to store and manage all of the mobile numbers of your membership.

Step 6.

Time management - we're called "activists" for a reason. Because we tend to be incredibly active doing the jobs that we think are truly important in this world. Time management is the art of tending to the important and time urgent, and knowing what to let drop. Time management is also the art of planning your projects, including timelines, resources required and task dependencies  - in other words, what tasks rely on other tasks before they can be completed? 

 Maintain Momentum

Step 1.

Build on your success! While it’s essential to reach goals, it’s even more important to build on that success and regroup. Act fast, capitalizing on increasing visibility and heightened awareness to get more resources for your campaign: solicit strategic advice from outsiders with more experience, bring in new members and volunteers, if you need funding then now is the time to get it.

Step 2.

Get more organized. You activated lots of people that were not formerly activated, but that doesn’t mean they’re organized. It’s up to you to organize them. How can you get in touch with your new members today and, if need be, weeks down the line? Whenever possible, collect emails, mobile phone numbers, Twitter handles and Facebook URLS and store them in a document that’s saved in a few different places.

Tip!

You can use Facebook insights to figure out who likes your page on Facebook, and post updates that are sent out only to people in certain regions or demographics.

Step 3. 

Create a new vision and a new theory of change! Why’d you start this thing, anyway? Reconcile your original goal with recent events and identify a new long-term vision for change. Your new plan should include an understanding not simply of what you want to achieve but also how you will achieve it. Articulate a clear and defined timeline that includes your upcoming actions -for example, weekly protests - and how they will take you closer to your long-term goal.

Step 4.

Get Feedback! Your campaign didn’t succeed because of just the most involved people but rather because of everyone - that’s why it’s so important to ask the people who got involved what the next step should be. Don’t decide anything as one person or one small group of more involved participants.

Take a cue from Wael Ghonim, one of the administrators of the We Are All Khaled Said Facebook page who, when asked what was next for Egypt post Mubarak, exclaimed: “Ask Facebook.”  This is easier said than done, but the sentiment is spot-on: when identifying a new vision for your campaign, make it as easy as possible for members to decide.  

Step 5.

Go Public With Your New Vision: Asking Facebook is meaningless if no one knows what it said.  Draw up an internal document to circulate amongst organizers with the feedback that you’ve received. Share it with everyone involved. The process of sorting through feedback can be as transparent and public as any other aspect of your campaign.

When a decision has been made, post it everywhere - on Facebook, on your website, your Twitter feed, and in an email blast -   so that everyone can hold you to it.

I.E...

Most recently we have seen some Egyptian revolutionaries go back to Facebook and create a Google Moderator forum to ask members of the January 25 revolution what they think should be next, if you don’t have a plan in place, though, for intaking that feedback and acting on it, then there’s little point.

Step 6.

Based on your modified plan, create a new campaign timeline with new tactics and short-term goals. As you do this, you’ll have think hard about how things have changed based on your work, and what the consequences of that chance are for the next phase of your campaign. Ask yourself:

 -Is my target audience the same or is it different?

-Who now has their hands on the levers that will create the change I want?

-Is my participant audience the same?

Tip!

A “Theory of Change” refers to an articulated understanding of how your actions (for example, a weekly protest) will create the change you want.  Everyone in your campaign should have a sense of what its theory of change is!

Step 7

Redefine your leadership. Everyone can be a leader as long as they are all coordinated and operating with a shared purpose and strategy. Now that you have a new long-term goal, offer a toolkit for organizers throughout to country to take this vision of change and work for it on their own.

Tip!

Approach the people who have been the most effective thus far and ask them to take on leadership roles. Putting this structure in place now is critical to growing in the future; as you expand in size and scope, you’ll need help running the organization.

Step 8.

Sum up the story of your success in a video and a blog post. Use footage from a past event or images that best represent your cause, edit a short (two- or three-minute) video that dramatizes what you have accomplished so far. This gives people a good sense of what you’re about, what you’re capable of, and will bring in new members. Don’t forget to issue a call to action, which you should have identified when you decided on a new long term goal.  

Step 9.

Day 2 of your movement is just as important as day 1, and should be planned just as well – don’t forget to follow our guide to planning a campaign for social change before you begin.

The landscape will constantly shift and your campaign will frequently reach new milestones, so it's important to go back frequently to your timeline and to the questions that you asked yourself (and answered!) at the beginning of this guide. 

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