Rural Organizing Project’s most important work is keeping rural human dignity groups vibrant, healthy, and growing. ROP supports the formation of new groups and builds the power of existing groups through training and coaching rural leaders, helping groups do more impactful and stronger organizing in their communities, and working with groups to develop action plans to organize for the long haul. Below are links to some of our favorite resources and tools for building and sustaining strong groups that we have compiled over the years by and for rural Oregonians!
If you are a part of a group that’s organizing for democracy and human dignity in rural and small-town Oregon, we’d love to have you join our network and community! ROP member groups are autonomous groups in rural, frontier, and small-town Oregon that are rooted in the local reality of their community, and shape ROP’s priorities each year at our annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session and through their local work. Email office@rop.org for more information and to apply to join today!
CAPACITY BUILDING TOOLKIT: How to start a group, build your base, and organize for the long haul!
- Keeping your Group Alive and Kicking
- Creating a Strong Leadership Team
- Volunteer Roles for Your Group
- Building a Progressive County Database
- Tips for Email Communication
- Guidelines for Creating a Website
- Capacity Assessment:
- Democracy Grid: How to Use this Tool and Template Grid
- Living Room Conversations
- How to have strong one-on-one conversations
- Campaign Planning 101
- Community Power Mapping Instructions and Map Template
Issue-specific resources can be found under Our Work, Resources, and Updates. In addition to these resources, ROP organizers are excited to work with groups and leaders individually to support, problem-solve, and offer resources. Send us an email at office@rop.org and we will have an organizer reach out to you!