Indivisibles know that recruitment is a key component of building local power, but it is not always easy to meet and identify new potential activists or reactivate your existing list. It’s hard, intentional work (like anything that matters).
The most important thing during the coronavirus outbreak is staying safe and healthy. Even though we can’t gather in large groups in person, our work to hold our elected officials accountable, build a more inclusive democracy, and be in community with our fellow activists is more important than ever.
Many nonprofits and progressive organizations use the term “capacity building” as a catch-all phrase to encompass all the ways an organization might increase its impact or political power over time. This resource outlines the capacity-building activities that are likely to fulfill the capacity-building requirement of the Indivisible GROW! Grant.
Congratulations! Your local group has just secured a national endorsement for an awesome candidate. But now what? While this is an incredibly important step, Indivisibles know that just simply saying your group endorses a candidate won’t get them over the finish line. What’s meaningful about an endorsement is the commitment of real work behind it. And together, we will deliver.
With the importance of social distancing and limiting mass gatherings, Indivisible leaders need to cancel in-person meetings and large-scale events to protect members from exposure to the coronavirus and stop the spread across their communities.
To amplify and further the impact of the endorsements of local groups, Indivisible will facilitate a grassroots-driven national endorsement program for federal (U.S. Senate and U.S House) and gubernatorial candidates. Indivisible groups who have undertaken an endorsement process in their district or state can submit a local endorsement for national consideration.
This chapter discusses how your Indivisible group can go about making that endorsement: from getting to know a candidate to issuing your endorsement statement, you’ll learn what to do -- and what not to do -- when your group wants to throw its hat into the electoral ring.
At the end of the day, you’re endorsing a candidate because you think they’re the best person to hold political office. But making that assessment involves thinking through a lot of factors about who the candidate is, what they stand for, and what their chances are. This chapter reviews key factors your Indivisible group will want to consider.