Change agent organizing is tough work.
I may want to make an impact in my community, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to even begin.
Who do I talk to? Who can help me? Who’s interested in collaborating and joining the team? What’s been successful in other places? What are my barriers to success?
That’s when the real doubt comes in. Can “I” even do this?
Maybe I don’t have the skills. Maybe I don’t have the connections. Maybe people won’t listen to me. Maybe it has to be someone more “important” doing this work. Maybe it won’t work.
I know myself and many others have these doubts and that’s OK.
When we realize we will never know in advance whether we’ll be successful and that we have to try and find out, that’s when we start to move forward on making change.
Sometimes it has to be us, even if we don’t have all the answers. Oftentimes we have to make the first move to get started on any change agent effort in order to galvanize others to our cause.
That’s why we created the Change Agent Guidebook. It’s a Guidebook to get started on your journey making change in our state and covers a wide range of skills and information to get you started (e.g., how policies get passed, how to mobilize volunteers, how to develop effective volunteer teams, and how to build a lasting organization).
You can now get copies of the Guidebook in-person at one of our next meetings/events or review the document online.
Here’s the full list of sections included:
- 1. Organizing: Fundamentals of Organizing, Relationship Building and Engagement, Base Building, Mobilizing, Leadership Development, and Coaching
- 2. Organizational Success: Facilitation and Gatherings, Management, Teams, Organizational Development, and Resource Generation/Fundraising
- 3. Justice and Equity: Justice and Equity Practices, Political Education, and Understanding Oppressive Systems
- 4. Strategy and Action: Strategy and Planning, Tactics, Issue Campaigns, and Power and the Social Change “Ecosystem”
- 5. Personal Development: Personal Growth and Learning, Personal Productivity, and Leadership
- 6. Narrative and Communications: Public Narrative, Messaging and Framing, and Press and Communications Infrastructure
- 7. Policy and Government: Electoral Campaigns, Local Government, State Government, Lobbying and Influencing Decision Makers, and Policy and Legislation Development
- 8. The Change Agent Fundamentals
If you’re looking to get involved and not sure where to start please reach out and we’re happy to get you a copy of the Guidebook or even better meet to discuss how we can support you in getting involved.
Drew Serres is the Coordinator and Co-Founder of Network Delaware which focuses on activating regular people in the political process through leadership development, civic engagement, and policy change. Network Delaware is the non-profit fiscal sponsor of the Delaware Call media project.