Wednesday, May 7, 2008

RESULTS Activist MIlestones

So...I thought I was doing pretty well as I come up on my first anniversary of becoming an anti-poverty activist. Then, I stumbled upon the "Activist Milestones" for the RESULTS organization. RESULTS is a secular,nonprofit, grassroots advocacy organization committed to creating the political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty. Wow! I got up to, like, 7 of them and then decided I had a lot of work ahead of me. I'm posting this because these have already led me to expand my own work and thought it might give others some ideas to improve as well. Thanks, RESULTS.
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The Activist Milestones are meant to be used as a step-by-step guide for you to introduce new volunteers and other community activists to the concrete actions they can take to hone and develop their skills as effective citizen activists. Taking these actions one-by-one builds a solid advocacy foundation for your group, and breaks down what is often an incredibly overwhelming amount of information RESULTS activists feel they need to learn in a short amount of time. This toolkit will allow activists to mark their progress as they move through the milestones and give Group Leaders the roadmap they need to facilitate skills training in their new groups and new volunteers.

Activists’ Milestones
1. Choose one RESULTS global or domestic issue and learn its basics.

2. Create and deliver a Laser Talk to another activist about the issue you choose.

3. Write a letter to your member of Congress and get a reply.

4. Write and get published a letter to the editor.

5. Send the published letter to your member of Congress.

6. Get to know the Congressional aide who handles our issues.

7. Ask a question at a Town Hall meeting or a candidate forum.

8. Meet with your member of Congress.

9. Call an editorial writer and inspire an editorial, which is sent to your congressional offices.

10. Speak to a local community group, church or student group about RESULTS or one of our issues.
Use the Laser Talk format to craft your talk.

11. Build a network of community allies to take action on specific issues.

12. Organize a community forum on one of our issues.

13. Organize a statewide media call.

14. Hold a fundraising event for RESULTS.

15. Attend the International Conference in Washington, D.C.

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