Overview

For years, base building organizations have been talking about the need to both develop pathways for Black, Brown and Asian organizers to come into organizing, and also for the need for deep development of new organizers; 2024 provides the opportunity to support the latter. The Organizing Center Fellowship program is designed for both organizers to deepen their practices of organizing and for supervisors (leads, Organizing Directors, E.D.s) to strengthen their resilient leadership. 

 

Program Overview

For Organizers

April 1- 5 Week-long, in-person retreat

• What is base building?

• What is power and how do we build it?

• Organizing conversations (overview and lots of practice)

• Intro to transformative leadership development & campaign cycles

• Intro to “organizer math” 

 

April 19- Aug 23- 2x/ month virtual sessions (10am- 1pm, every other Friday on zoom) that 

provide space to debrief organizers' experiences in their work, build relationships in the cohort, and get trained on additional topics.

 

Sept. 6th In-person session to celebrate and close the fellowship

 

For Supervisors

April 1-2 Required: Participate in the first two days of the organizer training to ground in the program arc and approach to organizing conversations

 

April 3- 5 Optional & Encouraged: Additional days at the retreat to strengthen 

supervisory practices and build relationships with other supervisors; participation in retreat social activities; participation in retreat closing activity

 

April- Aug. 2 hours per month of 1:1 coaching from a seasoned E.D. or Organizing Director

 

Aug 23rd Fellowship Evaluation with organizers 

 

Sept 6th In-person session to celebrate and close the fellowship

 

Goals

Organizers

• Build skills in organizing conversations, leadership development and campaign development

• Deepen understanding of power–how we build it and how we win it

• Deepen understanding of base building as one organizational form in the movement ecosystem

• Build relationships with other new organizers in PA

• Develop an approach to resilience practices that will support their sustainability

 

Supervisors

• Ground in the training program we’re using with organizers to support their ability to reinforce the program

• Support their ability to lead in grounded, resilient ways that support the leadership & development of their team

• Get support for individual needs through coaching

 

Who is this program for?

This program is for base building organizations that are committed to growing a skilled team of organizers inside a resilient organization. This is for organizations that are committed to building and winning power for all oppressed people, especially Black, Brown and Asian, poor and working class, and women and gender-oppressed people.

​

In 2024 this program is by invitation only.

​