What defines a social movement? How does a movement gain power?
Metrics for Building, Scaling, and Funding Social Movements
Investing in movements or networks for social change is a strategy that some funders are using. But, how do you measure the results? Marino Morino, who wrote “Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity” pointed me to this recent report, “Transactions, Transformations, Translations: Metrics That Matter for Building, Scaling and Funding Social Movements” by Manual Paster, Jennifer Ito, and Rachel Rosner with the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and funded by the Ford Foundation. The report addresses metrics for success for investing in broad field social movements or networked approaches to social change. The report is written for funders and those on the ground doing the work in the context of networks, although it doesn’t go deep into practice. The report captures a conundrum in measuring social change movements or networked approaches. Outcomes for “wicked problems” can be easily counted – policies passed, housing the homeless, educating children. But there are less tangible results such as “we changed the frame” or “we shifted members’ consciousness” which for grassroots organizers on the ground view as the vibrancy of the network . The report lays out some new metrics for movement building – that are paths to the more easily counted tangible results and where the unit of analysis is the movement or network, not an organization. As the report points out, movement organizers are grappling with big questions. It is less about how to raise funds for their organizations (although that’s important) but focused on the big picture: What is the long-term change that we want to see? What is needed to achieve it? What roles do different organizations play? The report identifies metrics to measure progress around this these questions – it asks and answers – “What exactly are the right metrics for today?
Movement Building
Features of Movement Capacity Building for Nonprofits There have been significant resources dedicated to the development of nonprofits' organizational capacity. However, far less attention has been paid to the capacity of groups to support movements for social change. Below are nine areas the Build
Introduction to Movement Ecology
Bridging Social Movements and the New Social Web (working draft) - Variable Context with @CaptainCalliope.blue
On connecting movements, media, and new protocol ecosystems to rebuild the civic, cultural, and technical foundations of a freer, more self-determining society.
May First Movement Technology
Digital infrastructure for liberation. Member-run, movement-rooted.
Holding the Roots: Resourcing the Infrastructure Behind Movements - Interaction Institute for Social Change
There’s a quiet revolution underway. You can see it in church gatherings and small-town meetings, on Zoom calls between elders and young organizers, in community art projects, healing circles, and protest planning sessions. Across the country, IISC has had the deep honor of supporting and witnessing this movement: the call for food justice in Mississippi,... Read More
How Can the Social Sector Rebuild Trust and Align Movements for Greater Collective Impact?
Civil society is under pressure — trust is declining, advocacy [...]
More notes on Organizing, Mutual Aid, and Activism on decentralized social networks
Part 3 of a series. See If not now, when? Mutual aid and organizing in the fediverses, the ATmosphere, and whatever comes next and Notes (and thoughts) on organizing in the fediverses and the ATmosphere for previous installments and a reading list. "Mutual aid. Organizing. Sharing, contextualizing, and making meaning
Blacksky
Decentralized social media built for community power, culture, and collective freedom.
Blacksky
Decentralized social media built for community power, culture, and collective freedom.
Activist Handbook | Campaigning guides for activists ✊
We write guides for activists. Learn how to become a social activist, plan a political campaign strategy, and start a grassroots movement.
Donate to Help Guiding Threads Collective Nurture Liberation Movements, organized by Anna Krist
Guiding Threads Collective is a worker-owned cooperative that … Anna Krist needs your support for Help Guiding Threads Collective Nurture Liberation Movements
RadicalxChange
We are a community of activists, artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars committed to using mechanism design to inspire radical social change.
Volunteer – Socialists
We are a people-powered movement - we depend on the energy and enthusiasm of our supporters to get our message out. Every contribution, even the smallest, will make a difference.
Social Influence and the Logic of Collective Action
An integrated quantitative framework for understanding the dynamics of collective action
Medsky
Decentralized social media built for community power, culture, and collective freedom.
