The word “grassroots” has permeated our national consciousness with good reason. In 2020, organizers from across the political spectrum turned out record numbers of voters by going into communities, ensuring that folks registered, and then getting them to the polls.
This building of collective power by mobilizing people around shared values is what makes grassroots work political, just like the work we do together in The States Project:
- We help people locally activate. Our endorsees are regular people who care about their communities. Their campaigning starts with calling friends and family members, knocking on the neighbors’ doors, and meeting with local organizations to ask for support. It’s tough work run mostly by volunteers and limited staff, but this is what campaigns look like at the foundations of our democracy — local people building power around shared ideas about what makes a community safer, stronger, and better.
- We lay the groundwork and make connections. TSP’s partnership with in-state partners builds core infrastructure that lasts beyond any one election. Much of our initial work ensures that they are staffed and resourced to run effective campaigns. These relationships allow us to help shape statewide strategy so we can better shift power in our target districts.
- We grow Giving Circles. What could be more grassroots than people energizing friends and family to support work they believe in? In the process, you learn alongside your Giving Circle members and empower them with the tools to go out and enroll their own networks. The work you do allows our endorsees to hire experienced campaign staff or vendors who can help them share their stories. Your work funds critical tools like polling for in-state partners who must coordinate campaigns across districts and candidates. This work is at the root.
If you’d like to learn more about TSP’s work at the roots of our democracy in the states, sign up for our newsletter! We regularly highlight how the organizations and candidates we work with are building grassroots power in state legislative campaigns.
And if you’re ready to engage in your own grassroots work and start a Giving Circle, we’re here and ready to support you!
