Training: Relational Organizing Model

The main organizing challenge for participatory budgeting is to develop a leadership team that can invite thousands of Evanston Community members to participate through face-to-face asks. Relational organizing is the most effective organizing model to reach this goal.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• describe the relational organizing model, including its process and steps.

Time

• About 30 minutes to discuss relational organizing

Materials

• relational organizing slides - use or adapt the slides to explain relational organizing to your new members.

Preparation

• Assign new members the reading: Mckenna & Han (2014) Groundbreakers, ch 4 pages 103-127 which describe Obama for America model used successfully in the 2008 and 2012 elections.

• Schedule a place to meet

• Check AV

Process

I. Check in

Start with a brief check-in about how everyone is doing

II. Reactions

Ask people what they thought of the readings, what they thought was most interesting, surprising, or what questions they had.

III. Review the model

Use the slides to walk through the model.

For each step, ask people to explain the step, what questions they have and discuss.

IV. Reflect

After the training, ask each new member to write down:

• What they learned

• A rating from 1-5 about how well the training helped them learn

• At least 1 I-like & I-wish about the training

You should also write your own short reflection on:

• What worked well, what didn’t work well, and what you will change about the training next time.