Most organizations and individuals lack the power to win the changes they seek. Amid rising authoritarianism, wealth concentration, and attacks on our most vulnerable communities — our models, culture, and practices must change urgently. Winning requires building a deep base of strategic and effective leaders and participants.
Currently, movements need more members and leaders to achieve the deep, structural change that we need to meet the moment. Growth beyond the base requires everyone to believe power depends on it.
What is it and how does it work?
Power is the ability to achieve purpose, built by combining resources and shared interests through relationships, not something inherently possessed.
Organizing builds power by developing ordinary people as leaders, engaging them in collective action to become decision-makers on issues affecting their lives.
We at the emergency campaign to support higher education use a distributed organizing model.
Distributed organizing uses networks and small teams to build a powerful base by developing supporters into peer-led leaders. This approach shifts campaign focus from staff-led execution to leader- and supporter-led execution, growing the base in real time.
Strong campaigns combine mobilizing (centrally coordinated, large-scale actions) and organizing (developing leaders who set strategy). Distributed organizing unites these by empowering supporters to lead volunteer-led, turf-based teams that integrate online and in- person methods to expand reach, deepen commitment, and build durable power.