Organizing
When many people take small actions, big changes can result.
Democracy North Carolina is one of the few advocacy groups in our state to maintain an on-the-ground grassroots organizing presence every year, all year round.
Our organizers lead local civic coalitions in cities like Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greenville and Fayetteville. We will be expanding our efforts in the Triad, Coastal and Western regions over the next four years.
In addition to these local coalitions, we have organized a dedicated grassroots volunteer base consisting of thousands of people statewide who take action on our issues.
An On-the-Ground Presence in Local Communities
Democracy North Carolina organizers work with the members of their local coalitions for pro-democracy change in North Carolina. They:
- Speak to over 100 groups a year about our issues.
- Distribute materials on public campaign financing and other topics.
- Hold meetings in different cities.
- Offer training sessions.
- Provide support to local election reform efforts.
- Conduct voter education and GOTV activities during election season, and
- Report back to other Democracy Advocates with a regular flow of frontline information on what’s important to local NC communities.
Why We Do It
The key to making change happen is taking action. Good ideas are not enough. We have organizers on the ground to inspire and lead the actions that make ideas come to life. We also believe the people of NC get a better sense of their power as citizens when they see how incremental changes can add up over time. North Carolina is a state where important change often happens slowly, so we use our organizing resources to stay flexible, persistent, and committed for the long haul. In addition, we are committed to expanding voter participation in elections through both structural and personal change – for example, by making voting more accessible and educating the uninvolved about the value of participation. Our organizing is the key to making this type of change happen through personal example, group action and one-on-one contact.
Growing the Grassroots
When we first founded our Greenville coalition with an eye toward the 2008 election, we invited local organizations and businesses to take part. A number of them stepped forward, including Burton Family Dental, a family-run business that registered new voters in its office, first on special days and then every day – eventually registering hundreds of new voters by the time of the General Election. But their commitment to democracy did not stop there. Co-owner Tracy Burton became increasingly involved with Democracy North Carolina’s mission and even served on our Board of Directors. This kind of development -- which takes people from the frontline, where they see firsthand what needs to be changed, to the board room, where they can help lead those changes -- is the kind of growth in civic participation we want to see happen all across NC.
Are you interested in joining one of our coalitions or seeing Democracy North Carolina become more active in your community? Contact our Organizing Director, Adam Sotak, (919-286-6000, Ext. 11 ) for more information or visit our Local Coalitions section for organizer contact details.
Useful Links
- Visit our Take Action section for information on what you can do to help.
- Check out the resources we offer to local groups for distribution to their members.
- If you are a college student interested in organizing, our Democracy Summer training program may be for you.
- Wellstone is one of our national organizing partners – check out their on-line resources.
- Visit our Speakers Bureau for information on inviting an organizer to visit your area.