“A Whole Lot of Organizing Going On”

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study to assess the status and needs of grantees of a major foundation in New York City, with respect to their experiences with and opportunities for community organizing. Little is known about the present capacity of geographic and functional community-based organizations to organize, and the extent to which they use different organizing approaches. This study begins to narrow that information gap. The Foundation's decision to support community organizing skills and resources was consistent with its own goals: to empower the socially and economically disad-vantaged in the City, strengthen the City's neighborhoods, increase the influence of target populations in the public debates on issues of pressing social concern, and sharpen its agenda for action and for change. The organizations surveyed were involved at all levels of the organizing spectrum and used a range of organizing and advocacy strategies: advocating on behalf of a community or constituency; influencing policy-makers; developing supporters, advocates and allies; increasing visibility, communication and outreach; collaborating and building coalitions; and mobilizing and training the community to advocate on its own behalf. Most of the organizing among these groups and agencies is specific to an issue or neighborhood. Although many respondents organize or advocate in more than one program area, there appeared to be few efforts which linked local activities to broader issues or goals. These respondents expressed a wide range of training needs in different components of organizing: influencing the political process, developing internal leadership, and enhancing the capabilities in communication, technology, and administration. At the same time, they identified areas of expertise in many aspects of organizing and advocacy. There appears to be a wealth of skills and strategies to share and on which to build even stronger organizing campaigns.