Why Organize a Coalition?

There are both practical and political reasons that may create a need for a coalition on your campus.

Practical Reasons to Form a Coalition

1. Strength in numbers. It almost speaks for itself. More people working together means more voices, more helping hands, more clout.
2. Solidarity. People often take notice when groups with very different purposes come together for a single cause. When choice groups join with LGBT groups and environmental groups and fair trade groups and Democrats, they unify their message, but they also expose individual members to different elements of the progressive community. If South Asian Students Society posts their political events on a coalition e-mail list, they’ll draw a larger crowd to that documentary screening on post-9/11 racial profiling. Whether between groups or among individuals, networking is essential, especially for the fragmented Left. If your campus does not already have a progressive network, stop wasting time and get on that now!
3. Spreading the costs. If your group needs a deep pocket, it’s easier to spread the burden over many than to strain your own small membership. As we will discuss later, a coalition may even serve as a communal war chest.

Coalition Why’s and When’s

Political Reasons to Form a Coalition

1. Bipartisanship. Bipartisanship (or the appearance of bipartisanship) depoliticizes an issue, draws in the moderate and apathetic crowds, and can even net funding from non-partisan sources. However, bipartisanship is rare these days. Bipartisanship or nonpartisanship may be a lofty goal, so it’s best to work toward solidarity (number 2 above) first.
2. Safety. Think of a coalition as an umbrella: effective for both poking somebody and protecting you from the rain. A coalition can either be a nebulous entity with limited liability, or an all-for-one and- one-for-all crusader with tremendous clout, but some frustrating limitations.

When to Form a Coalition

Sometimes even a progressive network can be expanded to include apolitical groups in ad hoc coalitions. Pursue an ad hoc coalition when: 1. Large, timely, controversial issues loom (i.e., the Patriot Act). 2. Small, local, or broadly-supported issues crop up (i.e., the firing of a beloved professor, wind energy, recycling program). 3. Your group wants to host a single or series of events that require funding and participants. You can never be too early, but you can easily be too late—if you anticipate needing an ad hoc coalition at some point, set the groundwork in place immediately. Pursuing a long-term coalition should always be a goal. Try to include apolitical groups as much as possible, but always have a core progressive network to serve as your base.

Coalition Partners

Identify Common Values and Goals

This is the most basic step. Literally, make a list and circulate it around to other members of your organization, friends, fellow activists, professors - anyone who can add some perspective or thoughts to the basis for your coalition idea.

Establishing the ideas, initial priorities and goals will make it easier to recruit participants and set the stage for the first meeting.

Identify and Recruit Participants

What key individuals or organizations should be involved? Who might serve as unlikely allies?

Consider meeting individually with leaders of organizations that you are targeting to present the idea for the coalition. Most organizations have a few key individuals who you can identify as contacts. Be sensitive to the possibility of conflicts or disagreements within organizations – some may be run by one or two strong leaders, others might have committees that need more time to work and make commitments.

Since every group will have different resources, providing the groups a specific list of action items will allow them to choose what work they are interested in pursuing, as well as what tasks they feel they can effectively accomplish. This strategy can prevent partner organizations from turning you down for fear of getting in over their heads.

Think outside the box!

Local unions, graduate or professional student organizations, community groups, theater or arts groups, student government, academic programs and departments can all be sources of support.

Be Strategic When Communicating:

Coordinating information, facilitating decisions and arranging meeting times can be difficult with large groups. In order to make this as efficient as possible, collect and distribute key contact information to all of the members of the coalition. Be aware that different people have different styles of communicating: some prefer e-mail, while others prefer telephone. Do not assume someone has received a message if you have sent an e-mail or left a voicemail – call or e-mail again. Also, some important communications should be saved for telephone or face-to-face meetings, especially if there is a risk of miscommunication.

Such a list could include: hosting phone banks, posting information to their listserv or on their website, organizing letter writing campaigns, writing and distributing leaflets, publishing stories in their magazine or newsletter, tabling for a cause or to spread information, getting names for petitions, sponsoring educational programs, helping with a speaker’s bureau, signing on to group letters, and talking with or writing to influential legislators.

Establishing the ideas and initial priorities and goals will make it easier to recruit participants and set the stage for the first meeting.

Create a set of action items for each group to look at and determine which resources they can make available to the coalition

Creating a Structure

Whether your individual organization is governed by an executive board, a board of directors or some other body, coalitions need a structure. If you do not clearly organize the coalition, you can run the risk of one person taking too much authority, or the converse – nobody doing anything because they do not feel as if they have the ability to act. Consider the possibilities below when attempting to develop an operational structure.

Deciding on the internal structure of a new coalition organization can be a challenging task. Your coalition should be rigid enough to be effective, yet flexible enough to accommodate each of the coalition members. Groups will differ on priorities, strategies and tactics; those differences can produce internal conflicts. They can also provide a fertile field of good ideas, different perspectives and important resources.

Spokescouncil

The loosest coalition structure. Each organization sends representatives to report their activity, any coordination or common action is voluntary and done as individual organizations.

Collaborative

A loose collection of organizations that may coordinate their activities and develop shared materials.

Campaign

The participating organizations will work and speak together, but on a limited range of issues.

Coalition

A full-fledged coalition will have its own internal leaders, committees, working groups, issue statements and take action with the approval of its members.

Warning:

Do not cripple your organization by equating equal representation with a lack of responsibility.

Hierarchical vs. Non-Hierarchical Structure:

Many groups struggle over this question, but whichever you choose, do not use a structure that will prevent the coalition from being effective. Every coalition needs designated individuals to facilitate meetings, create agendas, serve as spokespeople, or coordinate communication amongst members.

Your coalition should make sure these essential tasks are accomplished while encouraging full participation and equal roles in decision-making.

What is consensus decision-making?

A coalition generally operates on consensus—sometimes an elusive commodity. However, solutions are more likely to be found if the coalition discusses the potential advantages and disadvantages of a particular course of action and reaches a democratic resolution. One of the main functions of a coalition is to gather and share information and help all participants gain a clearer understanding of where the issue is and where it is going.

Whether your individual organization is governed by an executive board, a board of directors, or some other body, coalitions need a structure.

[[How to Run A Meeting|Organize Your Meetings]]

Be sure to set a firm agenda before each meeting to incorporate your goals for the meeting. Have an individual or a rotating individual responsible for taking notes at the meeting, and have a way to distribute those notes to members after the meeting – this encourages accountability to the responsibilities discussed during the meeting.

Rules to Live By

Whatever you decide, remember to clearly identify several key components: What are the goals of the coalition? Who can speak or act for the coalition, and how do they get approval? How often will the coalition meet, make decisions or coordinate action?

• Identify common values and goals
• Identify and recruit participants
• Create a clear coalition structure to facilitate making public statements and maintaining communication among member groups
• Clearly defi ne and assign coalition tasks: Consider financial and other resources: what can each organization provide? What sources of revenue are there on your campus?
• Recognize the accomplishments of your coalition members!

A GOOD RULE Create a clear coalition structure to facilitate making public statements and maintaining communication among member groups.

Sustaining the Coalition

So you’ve created a coalition and defeated your enemy. What now? There are a number of things you can do along the way to ensure that all the work you did to pull the coalition together doesn’t fall apart once the campaign is over.

1. Determine the length of the coalition early-on. Find out what every group within the coalition is interested in:

• Short-term or long-term involvement?

2. Install power-turnover and election procedures 3. Build working and personal relationships with coalition group leaders 4. Suggest other issues for coalition work 5. Apply for club status or offi cial recognition 6. Establish long-term goals and procedures

It may be the case that some groups will want to continue working within the coalition on other issues-this may be largely dependent on the basis for your working relationship in the first place. If sustainability is a concern for you, focus on the participants who share common values or goals at their core. You may have differences around specific issues, but if forwarding the progressive movement is something you share, then there is a reason for the coalition to exist.

Case Study: Florida State University

FORCE: Fighting for Our Rights Concerning Education

Objective: To increase student participation in civic/political action and pressure the state legislature to reverse its recent pattern of cutting the University budget and raising tuition.

Targets: The state legislature, the governor and students (in terms of engagement) Strategy: Present organizations with a simple and unifying issue to use the power built by the many different groups working together to pressure the state legislature to enact policy that promotes accessible and affordable higher education.

Tactics:

1. Create a coalition with the groups we had worked with in the past and new groups who found this issue pertinent
2. Hold educational events and create materials with well-researched information on the issue
3. Build an interactive website
4. Bring students to a statewide rally organized at the capitol in support of higher education

What Didn’t Work

There was a lack of a group ideology We had brought in a diverse group of people, but outside of those students who worked on previous campaigns, none were really thinking seriously about activist work beyond just participating in it. They didn’t tie education into race and class, into civil rights and corporate irresponsibility. Privatization was a concept most were not familiar with and we didn’t hold the workshops that were needed to convey these ideas.

No work on developing a public ideology We focused on the threat of students having to pay more money instead of tying the lack of funding in education to a lack of priority, inadequate government and institutionalized racism. Most people who attended the rally came out because friends or organizations asked them to do so. Thank goodness we had a huge “coalition”!

Leadership was not diverse Although we had a diverse base of students, the leadership (with few exceptions) were all part of an activist subculture. This proved harmful in many ways, including creating difficulties in mobilizing organizations as well as making it more difficult for students who wanted to take an active role to do so.

Groups in the coalition were not mobilized well Due to inexperience on our part, we were not able to effectively use the resources different organizations brought to the table.

What Worked

The issue was a unifying one and was easy to convey For the first time, we were able to bring a diverse group of students together in the form of a coalition because the issue was something that students were able to connect to as something that directly affects them. No one wanted their tuition raised and education cut. SGA became a 1st tier ally.

The ruling party of the student government association was, for the first time, heavily involved in “activist” work with this event. They worked to get the Greek councils mobilized for the rally and helped to add credibility to the coalition. It became almost impossible to marginalize the coalition because of their help.

A good relationship with the administration was formed Students sat down with the University president in order to find ways for students and the administration to work together. The president was on our side! Through this campaign, we began developing a working relationship with the administration — a relationship that would prove extremely beneficial through the course of the campaign.

Support from prominent figures One of the most powerful figures in the state legislature, Sen. Ken Pruitt, led the statewide effort on this campaign. The political force we were able to build on campus would not have had the power it did without Sen. Pruitt’s help.

Successful website and publicity We were able to put together a successful website that included educational materials and a petition for students to sign. We used the website as a way to reach out to those who cared about the issues, but didn’t have much time to participate and take a stand. This way, we were able to obtain over 800 signatures with minimal effort. We also were constantly flyering, chalking, tabling, and petitioning with well put-together documents outlining our findings and reasons why we were doing this.

Successful Student Rally The rally was the last big event the coalition put together. We gained significant media exposure, including the front page of campus papers devoted to it. We had approximately 600 students there, with various campus subcultures represented, including cultural organizations, student unions, student government and every Greek council at the university.

See Also

• [[How To Run an Event]]
• [[How To Run A Meeting]]

Links

• [[Young People For]]
• [[http://www.youngpeoplefor.org/pdf/COALITIONBUILDINGLBB.PDF|YPF Little Black Book: Coalition Building]]