Even the best ideas fail when leaders do not have the skills to organize – to pull together a group, develop a healthy organization, cultivate new leaders, and understand how to plan strategically. The Organizing Skills Institute will teach you organizing skills to help your group succeed.

What you will gain at the Institute

• Proficiency in advanced leadership skills, such as how to delegate work and developing a sustainable organization;
• Strengthen your technical skills in developing and running a new social justice project, such as how to facilitate energizing group meetings and how to use conflict to grow an organization;
• One-on-one personal mentorship with organizers to help your group;
• Stories and experiences about what works in practice, including theories from the field of nonprofit management; and
• A chance to network and connect with others doing interesting social justice projects from around the region.

Who should come

This institute is for experienced or lesser-experienced folks actively involved in a social justice group who want to develop stronger leadership and organizing skills. 

About Our Approach

Leaders need skills. Yet knowing how to write a press release is not sufficient if you do not also understand a reporters’ needs. Our approach goes beyond mere skills and into the world of organizing as an art. A core competency in our approach is understanding small and large group dynamics. These dynamics are meaningful in meetings, an organization, and society at large. Good leaders can make use of those principles: e.g. knowing how to facilitate an energizing meeting, how to set up a motivating rally, or how to read a political landscape. Using experiential education, we teach participants to apply these skills to their work.

Spring 2012 Schedule

The institute has three workshops over a half-year period (semester). Between workshops, experienced activists will receive three hours of one-on-one, personalized coaching and technical assistance. Attendance at all workshops is required. For Spring 2012 the dates are:

• February 10-12 * Fri 6pm to Sun 3pm
  3-day session focusing on making a healthy group, facilitation, and theories of change
• March 23-25 * Fri 6pm to Sun 3pm
  3-day workshop going deeper into shaping organizational culture, core principles of organizing, and campaign planning
• May 4-6  * Fri 6pm to Sun 3pm
  3-day workshop on organizational sustainability, strategic planning, plus remaining skills and evaluation

The small number of participants – under twenty per semester – allows for individual attention in the context of the group. By the end, participants will have more skills, greater confidence, and increased mastery in organizing.

Cost

Swarthmore students’ fees will be covered by the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility. The program costs a sliding scale from $300 to $900 per semester based on ability to pay. That includes over 40 training hours, training materials, food during workshops, and 3 one-on-one mentorship sessions. Limited scholarships available, especially for working class people and people of color.

Topics Covered

The skills cover a wide range, applicable to groups whether they focus on education, direct action, organizing, or political advocacy. The skills include:

• Making a Healthy Group
  • How to facilitate energizing meetings and large groups
  • How to handle conflict (e.g. de-escalation, conflict resolution)
  • How to support direct feedback
  • How to develop a sustainable organization
• Principles of Organizing
  • How to be persuasive (inc. how to grow your group)
  • How to delegate work and use volunteers
  • How to handle handle rank and diversity
  • How to cross cultures in working with new people
  • When and how to use different approaches to social change
• Effective Campaigning
  • How to design tactics and actions to build allies
  • How to develop a grassroots “narrative” and meaningful actions
  • How to develop new leaders
• Strategic Planning
  • How to evaluate outcomes and effectiveness
  • How to set meaningful goals to develop campaigns

To Register

The Organizing Skills Institute is offered to community members involved in social justice projects, groups or campaigns. An application process is required as part of the registration process. Attendance at all workshops is required. To download the application form, click here. To register or ask questions, please contact Nico Amador at nico@trainingforchange.org or (215) 776-8444.

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