In our introduction to inclusivity, we set out why we all need to make inclusivity a core focus of our advocacy and set out some practical steps on how to embed inclusivity into our groups.
This document will set out guidelines for how to build inclusive partnerships, including who you can and should be reaching out to, and how to build trust and show respect when reaching out.
Enhancing your group’s inclusivity beyond conscious recruitment efforts to diversify your group requires a concerted effort, thoughtful approach, and time to build trust and partnership. We recommend implementing the following three strategies to work towards effective, accountable, and authentic partnerships:
The text below explains these strategies and suggests potential tactics to implement them. Be prepared to build trust and partnership over time.
Throughout the United States, there are organizations and leaders that advocate for the rights of, and provide support for, marginalized communities on the local, state, and national level. Therefore if you’re seeking to engage a community regarding issues that directly affect them, you should start by reaching out to organizations and leaders that have organized themselves to create positive change for their community, or that have an established track record serving them, and who therefore may have the trust of that community. If you find these organizations and engage with them thoughtfully and respectfully, new partnership and membership opportunities can emerge.
Reaching out to possible partners does not replace work to be inclusive in our recruitment for our own groups. That said, in our internal recruitment efforts, we should be mindful to not make a token of individuals from marginalized populations or people of color, by putting them in the position to speak for an entire group. It can negate the individuality of that person by asking them to represent views not their own and may not be effective in understanding the varied interests of a community. Building mutually supportive alliances and partnerships is an organic way to make sure more people have the opportunity to add local, defensive, congressional advocacy to their collective action toolbox.
You may already have organizations in mind to reach out to in your own community. We strongly recommend seeking out organizations that have a track record of fighting for racial, economic, or gender (etc.) justice.
Give priority to local groups committed to progressive politics who have an analysis of systems of oppression, and who are working to shift power. One additional way to identify potential partner groups is to find local affiliates of relevant national organizations or coalitions.
When approaching a community organization or association for the first time, it is important to be humble and begin by seeking to learn from their work. Remember that they know the needs and perspectives of the community they serve better than you do, and make it evident that you understand this. Ask about what issues are important to them now as well as about their current activities, mission, and goals and what tactics they are already using to advance them. As discussed below, before your initial contact, do your homework to learn about their history and their work.
Direct service and community organizations generally operate on shoe-string budgets, and their staff or volunteers often don’t have time for partnerships that don’t directly relate to advancing their cause or require a significant amount of staff time. Therefore, your goal should not be to simply ask them to participate in your work, but to identify areas of common interest and discuss the potential for the Indivisible Guide tactics and your group to be useful in furthering their mission. Often, one of the most basic and important things that we can provide is our own ability to show up and be there for other organizations, so be open to asks that are outside of our core tactics; real partnership requires showing up for them if we’re going to ask them to show up for us.
Your first step will be to seek out an initial meeting with the group, ideally at the leadership level. Here are potential steps:
Partnerships generally don’t happen overnight. The next step towards partnership looks different depending on who you’re approaching and what their priorities are. As you move forward, however, discuss what accountability means in the context of your collaboration.
In any subsequent interactions, such as if a leader from the organization comes to attend or speak at your meeting, it’s critical to ensure the person is included, respected, and deferred to on the needs of their community and how to address these. You should make a point in their engagement with your group to ask their perspective and advice on the issues being discussed. Be respectful of their time by providing an agenda in advance, and if they are speaking, putting them close to the beginning. Strive to be mindful of any power dynamics at play and create a welcoming environment.
If someone from your group is attending another organization’s meetings, have them report out to your local group what the other organization is working on and if there are upcoming opportunities to partner or support them.
Inclusive engagement is not one size fits all, and it is more of an art than a science. You will need to find the best approach for both your organization and prospective partners. Try out tactics and evaluate their effectiveness. Learn lessons from mistakes and pitfalls. Ask for and take seriously any feedback that the leader or organization provides regarding the usefulness of partnership or how your actions affect them. This is a learning process, but if your ultimate goal is to be supportive, you need to be constantly attuned to whether your actions are having the intended effect. But don’t let possible missteps immobilize you. Act with intention, but make sure you act. Solidarity necessitates action, even if you are going to make mistakes. Doing something is the best practice for learning, stretching, and building.
By applying these principles, you can build engagement and partnership over time around shared interests and goals. Where possible and appropriate, share feedback with us on what you have learned, so that it can be shared with other groups grappling with similar issues.
Finally, we encourage you to consider coalitions or partnerships with more than one organization. In many communities, that’s the only way to build power. The guidelines for partnerships are also, generally speaking, applicable to coalitions as well.