Organizer’s Handbook

How to Organize Around An Issue

FORM A TEAM

Invite other people to help you take action on an issue. A team member may be a:

  • Friend or family member
  • Neighbor
  • Organization connected to your issue
  • Person who responded to your solicitation to join your team

BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR GOALS

You must decide who your target will be and what your specific demand of that person will be. Your target could be:

  • A local politician: Your district supervisor, the mayor, etc.
  • A City department staff member
  • A person/organization: Possibly one more directly connected to your issue (eg. a local building owner)

ORGANIZE AN EVENT

Organizing your own event allows you to engage with people interested in your issue. If your issue is controversial, don’t organize a public event unless you have gained significant support.

What is your goal for the event? Ideas include to:

  • Educate the public
  • Collect support signatures
  • Attract media attention
  • Form an action plan and a team to implement the plan

Events venues

  • Somebody’s home
  • A public place such as a bar, restaurant, or school
  • A hall such as at the SF County Fair Building or St John of God community hall
  • An outdoor space such as Golden Gate Park (remember to secure permits, if necessary)

How to promote an event

The Outreach section below contains suggestions for how to spread the word about your event.


COLLECT A PETITION

Petitions demonstrate support for an issue. The following may be helpful:

Whose signatures you should collect? Consider:

  • Location: Who lives/works closest to the area affected by the issue?
  • Demographic: What kind of people are most affected (eg. teachers, parents, etc.)?
  • Local influence: What people or organizations have the strongest influence locally (eg. district supervisor, UCSF, etc.)?
  • Quantity: Often, sheer number of people – anybody – indicating support will make an impact

See also the Outreach section below for how to reach people with your petition.

Petition-creation tools


OUTREACH METHODS

Reasons for outreach include:

  • Finding a team member
  • Collecting support
  • Promoting an event
  • Influencing a person or organization

Outreach suggestions:

A. The real world

  • Going door to door to visit neighbors, businesses, etc.
  • Standing in a prominent location
  • Using the phone
  • Posting a notice (eg. on a noticeboard, shop or house window, a place connected to your issue, etc.)
  • Advertisement (eg. newspaper, billboard, bus shelter, etc.)

B. Online

  • A website belonging to you or an appropriate person/organization, either in blog, news, or events listing sections
  • An email newsletter: Use an existing organization’s newsletter or create your own (eg. Mailchimp)
  • Social networks: Inner Sunset group on Nextdoor, Inner Sunset Neighborhood Group on Facebook, Twitter
  • Email: Send an email to your network

CONTACT AN ORGANIZATION, CITY AGENCY, OR SERVICE

See our Links page for a list of many groups relevant to the Inner Sunset.


ASK ISPN

See How ISPN can help you.