Campus & Community Organizing Toolkit
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Transcript of Campus & Community Organizing Toolkit
This toolkit was created to aid self-motivated individuals in creating
and scaling-up sustainable solutions to environmental, social and
economic issues. It is a handbook for helping aspiring sustainability
change agents educate, engage and empower people of all ages
with sustainable solutions through research, action and awareness.
The Organizing Toolkit is composed in a sequence that reflects the
original genesis of IDEAS; however it is not essential that each
step is taken in the order provided. Whether focusing your efforts
on a K-U(niversity) campus or a local community, this toolkit will
provide a light in the dark as you approach the many unknowns of
community organizing and sustainability.
With this Organizing Toolkit, you are embarking on a journey of
personal, communal and societal transformation. The source of light
evolves with each step, becoming brighter, more energy efficient
and in turn, more sustainable. On behalf of the IDEAS Movement,
we are honored to join you on this journey of illumination.
The IDEAS For Us Staff and Board of Directors
Dear You
with love
contents1
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Heat Assemble a Team |/ pg.01
Oxygeninspire a common purpose / pg.05
fuelpic a solution / pg.08
ignitionideas toolkits and resources / pg.10
incandescentdocument. publicize. socialize / pg.12
c.f.l.establish a chapter / pg.15
l.e.d.Sustain a chapter / pg.18
1heatAssemble a Team
Start by peacing (yes, with peace) together a cohesive team.
Find other motivated and concerned individuals who share
similar concerns and interests about sustainability. Gather to
discuss issues you feel need to be addressed on local-to-
global scales. Between 3 and 6 proactive individuals ready to
dedicate themselves to sustainable change is a great start! As
you come together, the heat increases like a nebula giving birth
to a star.
Beginning an IDEAS chapter has always been a fun and social
endeavor. Befriend your team, spend time together, and relate
beyond the context of IDEAS! This also makes you a more
attractive option for potential teammates – folks always want
to join the fun!
01
askWhat (passions, convictions, understandings, desires, needs, desperations, inspirations, etc.) unites us?1
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3
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What gives us diversity?
how can we find these qualities in others so they will join us?
how can we use these qualities for propogating sustainability?
what and how can we learn from each other?
02
campusesStart by reaching out to family, friends, classmates, even
professors or staff on the K-U(niversity) campus. Attend
events and organizations’ meetings to find other proactive
individuals who also want to make sustainable changes but
lack the guidance.
Start by reaching out to family, friends, colleagues, coworkers,
peers, patrons, and common encounters. Get involved with
community teams and local establishments. Rooting in
diverse niches of the community gives you a broader pool of
potential teammates.
communities
03
04
In the spring of 2009, while frequenting a local pizza dig called Lazy Moon, some members of IDEAS for UCF found their conversations over beer and pizza kept leading to intense discussions about environmental issues, such as climate change and sustainability. People sitting near the table would feel the heat and sometimes join in, until upwards of 10-15 people, most strangers to one another, were involved. The initiative “Drink Beer, Talk Climate” was born.
Moral: anyone anywhere can be engaged. Break the distance and silence between yourself and other human beings by recognizing their potential for contributing to solutions.
2oxygeninspire a common purpose
Once you build a team, it’s time to decide on a common purpose.
Remember that acronym, IDEAS? It stands for Intellectual
Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions. Although the
mission of IDEAS is to advance sustainability (which encompasses
environment as well as economy and society) IDEAS’s solutions
tend to emerge from environmental awareness.
conceptTriple Bottom Line of Sustainability:
- Environment/Planet
- Society/People
- Economics/Profits
IDEAS inspires RAA (pronounced: raw) solutions: Research,
Action and Awareness.
Research solutions focus on experiments that lead to
discoveries which become the solutions adopted by the public
through social and behavioral change. Action solutions focus
on applying the knowledge, skills and experiences of solution-
building and solution-implementation in real-world, tangible
contexts. Awareness solutions focus on transferring the
knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues and
solutions to IDEAS members and the general public.
05
askwhat issues need to be addressed for a more sustainable society?1
2
3
4
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how is the local environment and society affected by this issue?
do we want to perform research, action or awareness?
what are the costs and benefits associated with each?
what smart goals do we want to accomplish?
are we best suited for research, action or awareness|?
06
campuses |&communitiesGather and begin planning SMART goals, strategies and tactics. A host of awesome organizing resources are open-sources by the New Organizing Institute. http://neworganizing.com/toolbox/organizing-and-leadership/
07
In the fall of 2009, IDEAS for UCF members saw that the polluting of plastic bags was an issue around campus. As a solution, members brainstormed an innovative solution that would minimize, and eventually eliminate, plastic bag consumption on campus. One idea led to another and they created “T-Totes,” a plastic bag reduction campaign which offers a solution to the plastic by converting old t-shirts into reusable tote bags, thus eliminating the need for plastic bags. In addition to sewing these bags on demand, IDEAS now uses solar PV panels and bike-powered motors to power their sewing machines, furthering the educational awareness of this initiative.
Moral: problems are a matter of perception. IDEAS sees problems as opportunities for solutions - mo’ problems, mo’ solutions.
3fuelpic a solution
PIC stands for Project, Initiative, Campaign. You have a
team. You have a common purpose. What’s left? Solutions!
Solutions are all real-world sustainability and environmental
awareness efforts implemented through the IDEAS movement.
They are both qualitative and quantitative in nature.
A Project is a short-term solution. Projects are comprised of
one or several events at one or more locations, carried out over
the duration of four months or less.
An Initiative is a mid-to-long-term solution. Initiatives are
comprised of many events with changing locations, stakeholders,
impacts, and populations impacted. Initiatives are implemented
over the duration of four months or more. An Initiative may be
comprised of several Projects.
Campaigns are long-term directions for Initiatives and Projects.
Campaigns are more applicable for functional IDEAS Chapters
because they are long-term by nature.
These categories are relatively flexible. Throughout the history
of IDEAS, some Projects have gathered momentum to become
Initiatives. Some Initiatives have slowed into Projects. Some
Campaigns have led to incredible Projects and Initiatives.
For clarity, consistency and coherence, all Initiatives and Projects
are encouraged to retain the name IDEAS in any combination of
terms (ex: IDEAS for Policy; Healthy IDEAS, etc.).
08
09
IDEAS joined a nation-wide competition called CO2nsequence: Organize to Be Heard in the fall of 2009. The competition was based on a point system ranked by the different media used for engagement - photo, video, or writing - to raise awareness about a clean energy future. Through the CO2nsequence campaign, IDEAS created an Initiative called “Bikes Save CO2nsequences.” Cyclists continue to congregate and ride around UCF’s campus, raising awareness about alternative transportation.
Moral: Plant two trees with one shovel – projects, initiatives and campaigns can serve many overlapping purposes and accomplish many goals. Just be sure to keep track of what’s what!
4ignitionideas toolkit & resources
You’re HOT! The fire triangle is complete – heat, oxygen and
fuel – with a Team, a Common Purpose, and a plethora of
proven Solutions. The key is in Ignition.
Here’s where you start small and scale up quickly. Like building
a fire, begin will small actions to help you gain confidence,
credibility and publicity. These early flames are smoke signals,
demonstrating to onlookers that you and your team are on your
way to illuminate the community with sustainable solutions.
As you begin to explore other IDEAS toolkits and put them to
work, the intensity of your movement will only escalate.
IDEAS For Us, the non-profit guiding the IDEAS Movement,
exists to provide methods and resources for increasing
movement capacity – in the form of Toolkits, Operational
Documents and various resources. Toolkits are guidelines for
anyone seeking to scale up sustainable solutions.
10
info toolkitThis toolkit will help you understand IDEAS better. Educate
your team and members on the history and structure of
IDEAS, the IDEAS Movement and IDEAS For Us, the non-
profit. You can more confidently and cohesively communicate
what IDEAS is and what IDEAS does.
You’re looking at it! Use this toolkit to spark up IDEAS in your
community. ‘Nuff said.
Use this toolkit to help your team select an already proven
project, initiative or campaign. Solutions are categorized by
Research, Action and Awareness, so use this toolkit to find
a good fit for your team. Best practices and instructions for
various solutions are provided throughout.
This toolkit will help you gather metrics about the work you
and your team are doing in the community. Potential partners,
donors and volunteers value this evidence of your team’s
movement capacity. Light bulbs come marked with wattage
– the Documentation Toolkit helps you determine your own
luminescence in the community.
The Efficiency Guides provides a process of setting goals
for making chapters successful in manifesting the IDEAS
movement in their community.
organizing toolkit
solutions toolkit
documentation toolkit
11
efficiency guides
Please visit www.IDEASForUs.org for Downloadable PDFs.
5incandescentdocument. publicize. socialize
Your team is functional and it’s time to expand your movement
capacity. Now is when you scale up fast by documenting,
publicizing and socializing.
Documenting allows a team to show what it does. Data about
members, events and impacts provide an empirical, numerical
story. Photographs tell a story in a different language than
words or numbers might, communicating the emotions of
moments, connecting with an unspoken language embedded
deep within a person.
Anytime your team meets for an event, whether it is a meeting
or even participating in another organization’s event, capture
those moments and document them for future use – in creating
partnerships, writing grant proposals, etc. This is most easily
accomplished with a camera and the Documentation Toolkit.
12
Publicizing allows a team to broadcast its effects to an audience
that it may not otherwise be able to access. Newspaper, radio
and television are conventional media for publicizing the efforts
of your team. Teams simply need to write a press release
(template provided by IDEAS For Us) and submit it to any and
all media outlets. Media channels often post contact information
for press releases online. When the media shows up to events,
be sure to assign someone as the spokesperson to interact with
them, providing logistical information as well as insightful and
inspiring comments about the team and its efforts.
Socializing – in actual, digital and virtual realities – is the most
effective way to publicize your efforts. Word of mouth. Social
media. These are boosters with the potential to propel your
team’s movement capacity in unfathomable ways. Best of
all, these are media that members of your team can engage
with simultaneously and individualistically. Create accounts
on various social media sites to promote your team’s events
and exhibit documentation of your efforts. Expand your team’s
network with a mere click of a button.
13
14
In the spring of 2010, IDEAS Miami helped host a rally on Miami Beach protesting off-shore drilling in Florida and demanding a clean energy future. After contacting local media contacts and local newspapers, IDEAS was able to make front page of Miami’s premier morning edition - the Miami Herald - and raise awareness to the greater Miami community about the importance of banning this action off our coast!
In the 2009-10 academic school year, 25 stories about IDEAS For UCF were published in the university’s newspaper, the Central Florida Future. This led to an unprecedented increase in membership, almost tripling the amount of active, committed members in IDEAS for UCF.
Moral: let the media spread your message and do the marketing for you.
6c.f.l.establish a chapter
At this point, you’re a beacon. Your presence in the community
is felt and well known. Your team is creating a clear and positive
impact, and the momentum is increasing with every action. It’s
time to establish your presence in the community in a more
permanent and lasting way – establishing an IDEAS chapter.
In order to establish a chapter, a New Chapter Agreement
must be created between your team and IDEAS For Us. A
template is available from the IDEAS For Us website. This
document allows IDEAS For Us to track the creation of new
chapters and to be able to support these new chapters.
With the New Chapter Agreement, your chapter will need to
set up a constitution. IDEAS For Us also provides a template
of a New Chapter Constitution. Each chapter has autonomy to
adapt the constitution based on their own style of leadership
and self-governance.
The processes of creating campus and community chapters
are inherently different. Community chapters only need to
complete the aforementioned operational documents provided
by IDEAS For Us. Campus chapters will usually need to register
through student government associations. By doing so,
campus chapters can receive financial and material resources
from their schools. Start by researching different programs,
majors and environmental organizations currently existing on
campus. Our aim is not to dilute the movement on campus, but
rather to enhance it with fresh, innovative ideas and systems.
conceptNew Chapter Constitution
- Resarch different programs, majors and
environmental organizations currently existing
on campus. Our aim is not to dilute the
movement on campus, but rather to enhance
it with fresh, innovative ideas and systems.
- Contact your Regional Director or Bio
Regional Coordinator listed on the IDEAS
For Us website for further guidance, support,
and resources!
15
chapter structure & supportOperational Documents
• New Chapter Agreement (required by IDEAS For Us when
establishing your chapter)
• Efficiency Guide (required by IDEAS For Us each semester to
upkeep your chapter’s status)
• New Chapter Constitution (to provide a structure of governance
to your chapter)
• Press Release (to publicize the efforts and impacts of your chapter)
• Memorandum of Understanding (to establish the conditions of
partnerships with your chapter)
Examples of Executive Roles
• Co-Presidents (to handle relationships with IDEAS For Us,
student governments and other organizations)
• Secretary (to act as scribe, time-keeper, vibe-checker in meetings)
• Treasurer (to handle all resources and assets belonging to
the chapter)
• Historian (to document events through various media)
• Communications/Outreach (to handle recruitment, marketing
and social media)
Baseline Events
• Executive meetings
• Chapter meetings
• Anything from the IDEAS Solutions Toolkit!
16
youth environmentalmovement partnerresources• 350 (www.350.org)
• Sierra Student Coalition (www.ssc.org)
• Energy Action Coalition (http://www.energyactioncoalition.org/)
• Rainforest Action Network (www.ran.org)
• Greenpeace (www.greenpeace.org)
17
7l.e.d.sustain a chapter
Establishing a chapter is just the beginning. Sustaining a chapter
requires much more creativity and innovative thinking. People
move – it’s inevitable. Due to this fact of life, chapters need to
constantly pour effort into recruiting and retaining members.
Each semester, your chapter is responsible for submitting an
Efficiency Guide to IDEAS For Us, in order to update the non-profit
on your chapter’s status and community impact. This document
is readily available in a template on the IDEAS For Us website.
As a community organizer, you are always recruiting. Every
person is a possible change agent and should be valued for
their potential. Every encounter is an opportunity for publicizing
and socializing. Do not forget that people are, beneath all,
people. Finding and connecting with the deeper humanity in
the people you meet will help you to discover and further your
own. Keep a positive attitude with people even if they’re not
interested; especially if they’re opposite to your own. We learn
the most from perspectives far different than ours. Much like
diversity of species in an ecosystem, diversity of perspective
and opinion make for the healthiest chapters.
18
Membership retention is a similarly complex, engaging and
everlasting process. Social cohesion and a sense of belonging
are key. Encouraging members to claim ownership of the work
they do will allow them to feel invested in the chapter. Achieve
this by inviting members to acquire active and meaningful
responsibilities. Inviting and promoting members into executive
roles has a similar effect.
Mentoring is an incredibly profound experience for both
mentor and mentee. By solidifying intimate social bonds
between members, the possibility for retention is increased
dramatically. Mentors and mentees share knowledge, skills
and experiences, which bring them closer together by means
of sustainability work. The bonds formed can extend beyond
the bounds of IDEAS, flourishing into beautiful friendships.
Traditions are also incredibly effective for creating cohesion
among social teams. They also create history, which will give
your chapter a unique identity in the scope of the larger youth
environmental movement and IDEAS Movement. The autonomy
that chapters have to personalize their own constitutions also
extends to traditions. These traditions can be embedded in already
existing campus and community traditions, and vice-versa.
19
Organizing is a process of evolution, of elevation, of actualization.
Not only are you and your team organizing strategies and campaigns,
implementing solutions and building networks, you and your team
are also growing as people. The process outlined in this toolkit is
meant to help individuals and teams develop stronger organizational
and leadership capacities. The process is also meant to be a path
to self-discovery, helping you to uncover your passions, talents and
possible directions in life while sustaining the world’s systems with
bold, innovative, attainable solutions.
sharingthe light
IDEAS For Us, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, accredited
by the United Nations, advancing sustainability and environmental
awareness through campus and community action.
The IDEAS Movement is growing international sustainability
across communities and K-U(niversity) campuses around the
world, IDEAS provides people of all ages with opportunities to
make a positive impact for generations to come.
The mission of IDEAS is to educate, engage and empower
people of all ages with sustainable solutions through research,
action and awareness.
Authors:
Chris Castro
Sebastian Church
Henry Harding
Viktor El-Saieh
Graphic Design:
Stephanie Wrong
Written Summer 2011
Revised Summer 2013
ideasforus.org
facebook.com/ideasforus
twitter.com/ideastweetsus