How to Start a Grassroots Campaign
Campaigns used to be the sole privilege of the powerful, wealthy and well-connected. The vast majority of Americans were silenced, able to politically express themselves only by their single vote. That has changed dramatically. Now anyone with the dedication and the time can be part of a grassroots campaign and try to make their country a better place.
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Instructions
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1
Decide on a purpose. What is your issue? What is it that you're trying to accomplish or change? It is crucial that you figure this out and finalize it before doing anything else.
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Create a pitch that summarizes your campaign's mission. If you can't clearly and concisely articulate your goal, there's a good chance no one else will be able to either and that will absolutely kill your chance of making an impact on the people.
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Spread the word. Create flyers to post in neighborhoods and commercial centers. Pass them out in places where there's lot of foot traffic. Make sure that all the information that people need in order to join and support your campaign can be found on the flyer.
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Create a website. This is an absolutely crucial step. The Internet is becoming an increasingly more powerful and democratic tool, allowing people to reach an audience that would otherwise be off-limits to them. Also, an effective website can dramatically frees up your time, because it can efficiently communicate all the information about your campaign for you, leaving you free to focus on other areas of the grassroots movement (see Resources below).
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Find a spokesperson. At some point you'll need someone who can be the voice of your campaign. Similar to the press secretary of any politician, you'll want to find someone who is articulate, possesses rhetorical skills, and, of course, agrees with what you're doing. This individual should eventually handle the majority of media relations.
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Contact your local, state and federal representatives. Contact them repeatedly, both by email and phone. When contacting via email, try to bombard them with emails, as there's a good chance you'll otherwise be ignored, at least at the state and federal levels. Don't give up, no matter how discouraging it gets (see Resources below).
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Raise money. Most grassroots movements can be run inexpensively, but unless you are wealthy, you'll eventually need outside capital. You can solicit funds through your website or in person. Some people will be inclined to donate simply because of the issues you're addressing, but many others simply won't care. You may need to sell some sort of goods or services. An easy, common example is a carwash.
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Hire a CPA. This will save you a lot of headaches and potentially a lot of money. Because you're a small movement, you can't afford to pay a lot of taxes. A good CPA will know the ins and outs of the tax code and how to properly use it for your organization.
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