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Building Local Coalitions (Part II)
by Joe Garecht
From the Ground Up: Building Coalitions Where None Exists
For the ambitious campaign, building new coalitions can be the source of great grassroots support. The advantages of building new coalitions are that the campaign can independently direct the growth and
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As of the time of this writing, even national organizations, such as the Republican National Committee, recognize the value of building new coalitions and are launching major initiatives to do just that. For the local campaign, coalitions can be built around key issues, such as education (parent groups), crime (civic/community organizations), or any other key local issue. Coalitions can also be formed regionally (by neighborhood or town) or by trade/profession. The range of possible coalitions that local campaigns can build is almost endless
Starting Out: Identifying Groups and Members
The campaign that wishes to build its own coalitions should first map out what types of coalitions would be most beneficial, based on the campaign strategy. Is crime a major issue the campaign plans to raise? Then a "Concerned Citizens for Jones" coalition can be built. Does the candidate plan to address education? Then the campaign may wish to start a "School Parents for Smith" or "Teachers for Harrisson" coalition.
After deciding on what coalitions to build, the campaign needs to determine how to get members to join. The campaign need not worry about getting thousands (or even hundreds) of members to join the coalition. Often campaigns find that one dedicated member is better than ten are not committed to the campaign or the candidate, and simply sign on to get the campaign to "stop bothering them."
Campaigns should be careful to include coalition building in all of their activities. When a candidate goes door-to-door, and meets a teacher who supports him, that teacher should be asked to join "Teachers for Harrisson." When the candidate speaks at a community organization's candidate's night and is asked about crime, he should recruit new members of "Concerned Citizens for Jones." As the campaign rolls on, the coalitions will continue to fill up and form a valuable grassroots asset for the candidate that can be used not only during this campaign, but in future campaigns as well.
Value: What Campaign-Built Coalitions Can Do For You
Once the campaign starts to grow its coalitions' membership, it needs to include those members and groups in its campaign strategy. The candidate may want to think about sending out a regular newsletter to the group, if it is large enough, and representatives of the organization should be briefed on the campaign's activities. The group can also be sent targeted literature and fundraising appeals.
The campaign should also seek to have the coalition members spread the word about the campaign and its message. Coalitions are a good source of volunteers, and members can often be asked to have candidate coffees in their homes, introduce the candidate to neighbors, and participate in efforts to get out the vote on election day.
Thank You!
After the completion of the campaign, win or lose, a candidate must be sure to send thank-you's to every member of the coalitions the campaign built. After attaching their names to the campaign and working hard for a candidate's success, these members will feel as if the candidate's win is their win, and his loss is their loss. If the campaign wins, the group should be maintained as a source of grassroots support, and a ready made coalition for the reelection campaign. If the campaign loses, the candidate should maintain contact with the group, which will more than likely be ready to sign up for the next campaign.
Coalition building is an important part of any local campaign's strategy, and can be an effective tool for quickly building grassroots candidate support.
Read Part I of this Article
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