10 Campaign Organizing Tips

In late August, President Barack Obama created the largest protected area in the world—on land or sea—by expanding Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, an area rich in biodiversity and of importance to Native Hawaiian culture. Now encompassing 582,578 square miles—which is nearly four times the size of California—the designation prohibits future extraction, including commercial fishing and seabed mining. A statewide effort led to the protection and Sheila Sarhangi, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i’s executive committee member, served as the campaign director.  We asked her to share 10 tips that led to the campaign’s success.Recognize AlliesTackling social and environmental causes typically require a heavy amount of capacity and resources.  Take a moment to brainstorm individuals, groups, and organizations who are working on similar issues and can identify with your campaign’s goal and values.  Reach out to these potential allies to start building a coalition that will propel your movement forward. Enlist SpokespersonsLeaders, spokespersons, influencers—regardless of titles, these are the people out in front, communicating for your cause.  Ask yourself: What is the individual’s relationship to the issue?  Do they bring unique expertise?  Do they have an authentic voice?  Do they present any risks?  For the expansion, spokespersons included scientists, Native Hawaiian cultural experts, sustainable seafood chefs, and more.  Many had personal relationships with Papahānaumokuākea and could speak about the area with passion, knowledge, and little preparation.  Also consider “surprising or unexpected” spokespersons whose voices can be amplified.  For example, we learned that many small boat fishermen were publicly advocating for the expansion, which was counter to the opposition’s blanket message that “fishermen” were against the effort. Engage With MediaIf your cause is a hot-button issue that will make headlines for some time, reach out to editorial boards, news directors and specific reporters and offer to brief them on the issue.  If you get an in-person meeting, bring spokespersons and supporting materials (e.g. fact sheets, recent data) and keep your conversation as high-level as possible.  Media personnel are incredibly busy and under tight timelines, so stay organized, offer your main points, and address their questions directly.  If a story is published with misinformation or is one-sided, contact the reporter and kindly address it or ask for a correction. Monitor The Opposition—and Be AccessibleKnow the opposition’s top messages, spokespersons, and activities, and scan their websites and social media channels.  Don’t forget to set up a Google Alert, too.  Also, don’t be afraid to have a conversation.  Up until the final week before President Obama’s decision, our coalition engaged in more than 135 public meetings across the state—which included talk story sessions at boat harbors, public libraries, booths at festivals and more. Ask Decision Makers What They Need During the coalition’s first meetings in Hawai‘i and Washington, DC, we asked decision makers what they wanted to see in order to support the expansion.  This simple and direct question is often overlooked, but if you can get an answer, it can narrow the campaign’s focus—a necessity as you balance limited resources.  For example, a decision maker may want a specific group’s support, or more funding, or a policy change—just ask. Keep Decision Makers InformedShare progress with decision makers, such as recent opinion editorials, where you’ve made headway, or a list of supporters so that they can easily see who’s backing the effort.  (It’s not enough to tell a decision maker that there is “wide support” for your cause, show them instead.)  Also address any setbacks or external crises and communicate what you have in the works as a counter. Keep The Campaign Team MotivatedFrom long hours to unexpected bumps in the road, campaign work can be taxing.  Keep the energy up by: 1) Saying “thank you”—a lot and celebrate little wins, even if it’s recognizing folks through a group email 2) When you’re in the weeds, remind supporters of the big picture and what you’re trying to accomplish 3) Build relationships between team members early.  They will lean on one another for support—which is more important than most people realize.  4) Be available. If someone needs to talk, make an effort to call him or her back.  Feeling supported is a great motivator. Be realistic Campaigns bring out the creativity in all of us, but if you have an idea, ask yourself if you can really pull it off.  Do you have the time, the people, the budget, and will it really get your closer to your goal? Get In The TrenchesHave no shame in handling small duties.  Any good organizer will tell you that wearing multiple hats is par for the course—and that includes making copies. That being said, remember the power of delegating, particularly if you need to spend your time tackling high-level matters that will alter your strategy if the “to-do” falls off your plate. EvaluateNo campaign is perfect—and our effort certainly accrued lessons learned.  But too often organizers wait until the end of the campaign to evaluate what worked and what didn’t.  Pull your campaign team together and assess your strengths, weaknesses, and any opportunities that you might be missing, particularly if you’ve just hit a milestone in your campaign and it’s time to go after the next step.