Coalitions: Building and Joining

1
Coalitions Building and Joining

• Advocacy Training Module

2
What is a Coalition?

• An organization of organizations that is actively
  working on an issue campaign!

3
Types of Coalitions

• Formal
• Issue
• Informal

4
Advantages of Working Together

• Increase power.
• Able to win something that couldnt be won alone.
• Increase resources staff, money, members.
• Broaden the scope of work.

5
Guidelines for Coalition Building

• Choose a unifying issue.
• Not the road to diversity.
• Dont change your values or mission.
• Understand each groups self interest.
• Respect each groups internal process.
• Agree to disagree.

6
Guidelines for Coalition Building (cont)

• Play to the center with tactics.
• Recognize that contributions vary.
• Structure decision making carefully.
• Urge stable and senior representation at
  meetings.
• Distribute credit fairly.
• If there are staff they should be neutral.

7
Guidelines for Joining Coalitions

• Know what you want to get out of it.
• Know the coalition members and background.
• Get clear expectations.
• Maintain an independent program.
• Evaluate your role carefully.