Tools for Grassroots Activists: Best Practices for Success in the Environmental Movement Edited by Nora Gallagher and Lisa Myers.

5/5 rating. 288 pages.

Book #74 of 2020. Read October 19, 2020.

This is an incredible book that should be everyone’s first resource if you’re thinking about starting a movement of any kind!

This book is a collection of talks and information gained from the Tools Conferences that Patagonia puts on. I wrote down so many important quotes for everything from looking at campaign strategy and organizing, all the way to how to keep the faith in your campaign. This book strikes the perfect balance between providing real nuts and bolts ideas that are necessary to run a successful campaign, and inspiring YOU to change the world.

Know that if you plan to do almost anything in this world, Tools would probably help you achieve it by giving you a better basis of where to start. I unequivocally endorse this book as your next read if you want to fix the world and save us all!

Here are a few of my favorite short quotes from the book.

“Hope is not a strategy.”

“If we want to protect nature, this is no time for ineffective campaigns.”

“It’s time to stop scaring people with visions of an unavoidable apocalyptic future, and to start inspiring them with the conviction that, together, we can actually turn the corner on climate disruption. After all, we’re not just here to fight climate change. We’re here to win that fight.”

Quotes:

“Marketing is just another word for self-presentation – and works to make as many friends as possible for your organization.”

“To show who you are, you have to know who you are. To know who you are forces your organization to ‘live an examined life.’”

“If we want to protect nature, this is no time for ineffective campaigns.”

“Campaigners can articulate where they are now, and where they would like to be, but can in no way say how they are going to get to that desired outcome other than by ‘working on the campaign,’ ‘raising the profile of the issue,’ and ‘hoping’ that the campaign somehow reaches its goal.”

“A campaign strategy…clearly articulates the way forward, and when challenged, can offer a convincing and realistic path to success.”

“As a campaign leader, being able to develop and articulate a winning campaign strategy is your most important job. Nothing else is worth more of your time, your focus, or your energy.”

“Now think about your particular campaign:

 – Do you have a clear goal?

 – Do you have a careful plan that, if followed and well implemented, will guarantee that you will achieve your goal?

 – If I asked your colleagues, key volunteers, board members, and allies what your strategy is, would they all say the same thing?

 – Can you tell me specifically when your campaign is going to win?”

“Make sure your organization is crystal clear about the goal your campaign is trying to achieve. If you don’t have a very specific goal that everyone, and I mean everyone, in your campaign organization understands, you will struggle to develop a strategy for success.”

“Ask, ‘If this person is on my side, and enthused and active for my cause, will that bring about success?’ If the answer is yes, they are your primary targets and will be the focus of your campaign strategy.”

“Tactics is doing things right. Strategy is doing the right things. You can win a campaign with a good strategy and mediocre tactics, but you will lose every time with mediocre strategy and good tactics.”

“Remember, a strategy has a tangible, specific goal. It identifies a target (person) who can deliver on the goal, it articulates the method and forum by which success will be achieved, and it has a plan that, if implemented properly, will generate the necessary influence, support, and pressure to convince the target to attain the goal.”

“Don’t give in to those who urgently want to ‘get going on the campaign’ but cannot articulate a plan for long-term success.”

“If it’s not written down, it’s not a plan.” – Bob Bingaman

“Your time is too important to spend on an unstrategic campaign. Nature needs your talents on campaigns that can win.”

“Dreaming big and bold not only gives us the best chance at a healthy, sustainable future, but it’s also the best way to build our movement. Think about social movements in history: leaders didn’t rally millions through compromised calls to action. The moment calls on us to be strong, be bold, and be courageous.”

“If we can figure out how to communicate in a way that invites people to take part and be bold and courageous in what we aim for, and work together as engaged citizens, we really can build a diverse and powerful movement strong enough to turn things around. Together, we can build a sustainable, healthy, and just future for all.”

“You must distill your reason for being down to a digestible chunk.”

“- Who are we?

 – What are we trying to accomplish?

 – Why and for whom?

 – What will be the result if we succeed or fail?

 – Why should people care about that?

 – What makes us unique?”

“Challenge yourself to make decisions. Make the core idea as clear and as concise as possible. No more than one sentence. Less if possible.”

“All too often, environmental leaders and organizations act as though all that matters is that we are right – that we have the facts on our side. All too often, while our work represents the values of the communities we represent and work within, we do not spend the time and effort to effectively communicate with and engage these communities to help. Being right is not enough. To win, we must organize.”

“The organizer takes the jargon-rich, and often alienating, technical language that a campaign’s experts provide and translates this into messages that volunteers can use and act on. The organizer is listening as much as she is talking in order to make sure she understands what her volunteers need so they can meet the campaign’s goals.”

“People help because they are asked. And the most compelling way to ask for something is one-on-one. There is no substitute for one-on-one communication.”

“We certainly need leadership in state capitals and Washington, but it won’t amount to much if we don’t have lots of leaders on Main Street, at work, in churches, and in civic organizations. At either level, the hallmarks of leadership are rock-solid integrity, independent thinking, a refusal to accept injustice and indignities, and courage – all with a smile.”

“It will instead come from people of relatively modest means who share your values and dreams. Seventy percent of Americans donate every year. Ninety-one percent of these folks make under $100,000.”

“Everybody’s list will look different, but most folks miss the most important reason that people give: Because they were asked.”

“When you fundraise, what you’re really doing is giving people an opportunity to accomplish things they can’t do by themselves. If your community understands and appreciates what you’re doing, then they will want to support your work. It’s an equal exchange – you do good work in the community, and they support you with a donation.”

“Your job is to listen to what they see as an environmental problem and then talk to them about what your organization is doing to help solve that problem. If you are producing the change they want to see in the world, then they will invest their charitable dollars with you because they know they will get a good return.”

“Gather, polish, and share your success stories, and you will give the gift of hope to your donors. Of course you need to acknowledge the problems, but environmental groups are having the most success when they move on to talk about the results of their hard work. We need to know we can create change, and we owe it to our supporters to share the stories of our victories – both large and small.”

“Too often, we try to motivate with guilt, fear, and shame. There are a few problems with this approach. First, most people don’t need more guilt in their lives. Also, fear and shame are disempowering emotions that make people less likely to act. Use emotions that empower like hope, pride, admiration, envy, and anger.”

“Questions can put a cause in a different light – providing new perspective.”

“When you spout data, audiences may question its source or its accuracy. An array of numbers, facts, and figures may not compel. However, stories elicit an entirely different response. Experts say that good stories lower people’s defenses – especially if they believe the story is true. Stories can provide context for data. Stories help people identify with a cause.”

“Use words that paint a picture.”

“If your language is factual and grounded in data, but doesn’t actually inspire your audience to do something, you may miss the mark.”

“Is all of your smart thinking leading to successful engagement? If not, don’t talk louder; change how you are saying your message.”

“Communicate clearly. While you may live in a world of planners, scientists, and bureaucrats, try to stay away from the often mind-numbing lexicon and passive sentence constructions of enviro speak. Don’t make your audience work too hard. Keep things moving. Say what you mean.”

“Try to frame your issue and your work in a positive light. Speak of challenges and opportunities, not problems. Describe your successes – the acres preserved, roads removed, volunteers trained, growing membership.”

“We ‘preserve wilderness,’ not ‘engage in wilderness preservation.’ Likewise, we remove roads, build trails, monitor water quality. Use action language to keep readers interested and help maintain a positive, conversational tone.”

“Why is all of this important? Because people must understand that every victory, no matter how small, will add voices and power to change the climate of public opinion, and making certain actions unacceptable. Local victories in which citizens tackle a problem will improve the local environment, give people real experience in making democracy work, create connections between strangers, and seed the idea that the community should be planning ahead to take control of its own destiny.”

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – MLK

“Taking risks is important. You can’t win if you are too afraid of losing.”

“Every one of us matters and has a role to play. Every one of us makes an impact on the world around us – every day. And we can choose what sort of impact we can make.”

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