The Arc California’s
Strategic Plan for Community
Organizing
June 22, 2013
The Arc California
1225 8th Street, Suite 350
Sacramento, CA 95814
Purpose Statement for the Community Organizing Initiative:
The purpose of The Arc of California’s Community Organizing Initiative is to build a
powerful organized community that shapes state policy to guarantee the human and
civil rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Customer Analysis for our Community Organizing Initiative: Do we
know who they are and do we know what they really want?
The Arc needs to focus and utilize participation from any individual or chapter which
wishes to engage with the community organizing initiative. They will be trained to think
about themselves as agents of change (transformational), thus becoming participants
instead of clients, advocating for what is rightfully theirs and not passively accepting
what the state is willing to give!
We will observe how The Arc of the United States is organizing and training to exert
influence on federal public policy through their national Director of Chapter Organizing
and Advocacy. We will replicate their deliberative approach at the state level.
Finally while we are committed to broadening our participation, we acknowledge
building consensus for action in a large and diverse state like ours can be challenging.
Action may in fact be the method to achieve a broader consensus.
Customer Analysis: Identifying the Statewide Core Leaders, Regional
Organizers, and Local Chapter and Community Leaders.
We will solicit individuals who are committed to this initiative and willing to be visionary
Statewide Core Leaders:
1. CCE Members
2. Chapter Presidents
3. Board Representatives
4. Parents
5. Consumers/Self-advocates
Regional Organizers and Organizations will be identified who have bought into the
vision and will achieve the required results for success:
1. Community organizing groups from within the developmental disability
community (e.g. United Cerebral Palsy, Autism Speaks)
2. Community organizing groups from other disability communities (e.g. CFILC,
Mental Health)
3. Community organizing groups from outside the disability community (e.g. Health,
Housing, Transit, Justice, Labor)
4. Individuals from The Arc of California network who are not members of the Core
Leadership team
Local Chapter and Community Leaders will be identified who will be trained to
support and participate in the successful implementation of the community organizing
initiative.
Regular and Embedded Trainings:
1) Develop training models to fit the needs of Self Advocates (their physical stamina,
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
physical limitations, intellectual disabilities, etc.)
Develop training models geared to the needs of the Family Members
Training acknowledges the VALUE of the person being trained (Client, Family,
Friends, and Staff)
Training gives them recognition and increases their cognitive awareness in giving
them purpose
Cross training everyone to do the actions, interviews and deliver the message
Trainings will be conducted in three regions
a. Northern California (Sacramento Area/ Bay Area,
Merced/King City)
b. Central California (Bakersfield/Fresno, Paso Robles/Madera)
c. Southern California (Los Angeles/San Diego, Santa
Barbara/Ventura, Valencia/Riverside)
Significant Milestones for the Community Organizing Initiative
Year 1
 Calendar a series of synchronized legislative forums and events throughout the
state that generate ‘meetings with’ and ‘letters to’ policymakers, action on
statewide issues, action on local issues, support for our lawsuit, increased voter
registration, and lead to follow-up meetings
 Follow-up meetings (from the synchronized forums) that become theme forums
cutting issues into a couple winnable actions
 “Actions are the oxygen to organizing” - complete at least 3 local actions and 1
state action.
 Create a working plan to teach cutting issues to action and base building through
1:1 meetings
 National training - Create a special selection process for sending people to
national training (we want to send 10 advocates)
 On-line 1 day training that is specific to our community organizing issue
Year 2
 Continue trainings and reach 100 people annually
 Hire a full-time organizer for our region
 Advance team training (at least 1 team), training for an established group that is
already committed to a local action
Year 3
 Hire a full team of organizers (3 locals and 1 state coordinator)
 Train the trainer’s workshop to achieve having 10 trainers
 Achieve full attendance for national week long training (20 advocates)
 Whatever has not been accomplished from previous years
Action Plans: Details for the desired milestones including plans for resources for actions
not already provided.
Action Plans
YEAR ONE
Calendar a series of synchronized forums and events throughout the state that
generate letters to policymakers, voter registrations, and lead to follow-up
meetings and actions.
What
Identify 3 regions where advocates can build forums to highlight
the current state of the DD System, local issues, have round
table letter writing sessions, and voter registration.
When
March 2013
Bakersfield/Kern County Training by Gamaliel Team
Fall or Winter 2013
San Diego training at the CA Supported Living Network’s
conference, with emphasis on self advocates; recruit self
advocates for training at People First Conference
April 2013
June 2013
Issue Development – comes out of the synced events and the
CSLN conference
Follow-up meetings (from the synchronized forums) that become theme forums
cutting issues into a couple winnable actions.
What
Write a survey monkey assessment survey for the synced
forums and events participation
When
September 2013
Follow-up with those in attendance at the synced forums through
the survey
Dec. 2013
Schedule and hold follow-up meetings and open the forum up by
discussing survey themes, open discussion on community
concerns, and break it down to winnable actions.
Dec. 2013
Complete at least 3 local and 1 state actions and create a working plan to teach
cutting issues to action and base building through 1:1 meetings
What
When
Organize a presence in person and on-line for lawsuit court
hearings, public policy hearings, local issues, and national
legislation creating maximum participation from our community
Spring, Summer,
and Fall 2013
Carry out other winnable actions identified from each follow-up
forum
Identify the leaders for actions (should come from those already
trained in national leadership, PIP graduates, other known
advocates, especially self advocates and family members
August 2013
Organize training in Sacramento
May 2013
1:1 follow ups
Prepare for celebration of victory and next steps simultaneously
Statewide special election turnout the vote
YEAR ONE and TWO
National training (we want to send 10 advocates) and Local Trainings
What
1 week training in the Sacramento area
When
November 2013
Strategic planning committee to establish criteria and the
selection process
May 2013
Local trainings in Northern, Central and Southern California,
including San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, San Jose, Solano,
Stockton, Napa, Placer County, Butte County, Fresno, Los
Angeles, Orange, Ventura and San Diego
Spring, Summer and
Fall, Winter 2013
Design 1 or 1/2 day trainings to raise interest and to earn money
to off- set participant cost at national training
Summer 2013
Develop a work plan in the training
May 2013
2014
Create an on-line resource based on the 1 or ½ day training that is specific to our
community organizing issue
What
Video tape leadership training
When
May 2014
Do the training in the Sacramento Area
May 2014
Marketing for the resource
April 2014
Create a course similar to College of Direct Support
July 2014
Continue the training to reach 100 people annually
What
Ask for referrals at each training
When
On-going
Keep building database of interested advocates
On-going
Book Greg Galluzzo, Mary Gonzales, and other Gamaliel Lead
Organizers for the trainings
2013 September,
October, November,
December
2014
Promote directly to the Partners in Policymaking graduates and
students
Work on grants and fundraising to develop financial sustainability June – Dec. 2013
Advance team training (at least 1 team), training for an established group that is
already committed to a local action
What
When
Identify potential teams and define qualifications
1 to ½ day training will identify interested teams
May 2013 and 2014
Organize private training where needed
Send the team to the training and follow up
November 2013
$ - teams will have to fund their own participation
Hire a full time organizer
What
Develop a feasibility proposal for funding a full time organizer
highlighting 4 options: (1) State centered (2) local centered (3)
contract out (4) just wait for a grant source
When
June 2013
Grant funding to ignite the project, solicit funding from chapters
and individuals, establish a contributor list
June – Dec 2013
Job description, splitting time in the region
July 2013
Use Mary’s contacts to search for organizers
Regional areas will commit to 1 collective fundraiser
State office will promote regional efforts
State office will provide organizers with relevant policy issues
impacting the local constituents
Summer 2013
YEAR 0NE to THREE
Hire a full team of organizers (3 locals and 1 state coordinator)
What
Complete a procedural resource for what’s working for us in
organizing and how to replicate and what to watch out for.
When
2014
Year two results will dictate next steps for hiring a full team
Train the trainer’s workshop to achieve having 10 trainers
What
Identify those with interest and talent willing to practice the
concepts of community organizing
When
Sept. 2013, 2014
and 2015
Create a team to train for stage one: (1) Trainers for 1:1 (2)
Trainers for Effective Meetings, (3) Trainers for Issues and
Actions
Create a team to train for stage two: (1) Self-Interest, (2)
Agitation, (3) Path to Power
Shadow Greg & Mary in their trainings
Achieve full attendance for annual national week long training (100 advocates)
Strategic Plan Committee:
 Dwight Stratton, President, The Arc California (San Diego Chapter)
 Dick Fitzmaurice, Vice President The Arc California (Alameda
County Chapter)
 Peter Bowers, Treasurer The Arc California (Contra Costa Chapter)
 Jim Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer, The Arc Bakersfield BARC
 Ron Luter, Executive Director, The Arc of Alameda County
 Barbara Guenther, Executive Director, The Arc Placer County
 Connie Uychutin, Executive Director, The Arc San Joaquin
 Greg Galluzzo & Mary Gonzales Gamaliel Foundation
 Staff:
 Tony Anderson, Executive Director
 Tim Hornbecker, Director of Community Organizing and Advocacy
Gwen Lopez, Executive Assistant