|
|
WHY WE SHOULD DO IT -
TO WIN WE NEED EFFICIENCY, TRANSPARENCY, ACCESSIBILITY.
Efficient organizations have to use the web, but without transparency and accessibility the
web is not better than shoe boxes with 3 * 5 cards. What follows are suggested guidelines for
local organization web tools to insure transparency and accessibility.
I believe that the State and National party should provide the following web tool infrastructure
for local organizations. National and State organizations have spent billions in the last decades
for losing elections, and only a little bit went at the last minute to pathetic "grassroots" efforts.
The easier it is for volunteers to see and access what is going on, the more likely volunteers
are to continue participating in the community since they get to waste less of their precious time.
HOW WE SHOULD DO IT -
I. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT
A. Who is a Member:
Do they want email? Snailmail?
Member general info ( precinct, legislative district, etc)
B. Finances:
When are their dues do?
When did they contribute?
What did they contribute?
Reporting to state / local public disclosure commissions (as they are called in WA.)
C. General Communications:
Email lists
Discussion forums (a la yahoo news groups?)
Blogs (if not like dailykos, then don't bother )
Mailing labels for snail mail
II. MORE SOPHISTICATED ORGANIZATION
A. How to Best Organize Grassroots:
Event Planning & Calendaring
B. Datawarehouse Stuff:
DataWareHouse Black Holes
III. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOPS) FOR LOCAL ORGS
Meetings Agendas Resolutions
WHY WE HAVE TO DO IT - THE REAL REALITY
How many volunteers get involved and then get feed up with being pawns of the silly campaign
fights as various petty princes struggle to be the next CJ, Josh, Toby or Leo or Carville?
Even IF it was easy to match people to places to times to events (who, what, when, where,
how), too often this critical task is left to whoever will take it, or it is left to some petty prince who
is a control freak, and who therefore wastes too much of everyone's time with their little power
trips.
National and State organizations have spent billions in the last decades for losing elections,
and only a little bit went at the last minute to pathetic "grassroots" efforts. The main purpose of
these grassroots efforts was to doorbell, phone bank and snail mail to get voter lists updated - so
that fund raising would be more effective - so they could get the billions to spend losing.
|
|
|
Grassroots Organizing By The Community,
For The Community
NOT for the "leaders".
|
|
|