Binders Full of Organizers: How to Build
Coalitions Beyond the Usual Suspects
Creating Coalitions Workshop
#AAUW2013 @AAUWpolicy
.
What is a Coalition?
A coalition is a diverse group of organizations
and individuals who agree to work together to
achieve a common goal.
Roadmap: Where We’re Going
1. Michigan: real life
example
2. Power mapping:
finding the unusual
suspects
3. Practice!
4. Effective coalitions:
quick tips
Building Coalitions: We Can’t Do it Alone
.
Building Coalitions: Michigan
• MI Women’s Assembly (MWA)
• Largest coalition of women’s organizations
• Pay Equity Network
• 75 women’s, labor, educational, and civil rights
organizations
• MI Women’s Commission
• 700+ women’s organizations
• Equal Pay Day
Building Coalitions: Michigan
• Council About Parochiaid (CAP)
• PTS, ACLU, NCJW, AFT, and other similar
organization
• Michigan for Public Education (MFPE)
• Anti-Affirmative Action Ballot Proposal
• 200+ organizations coordinated by MI Civil Rights
Initiative
Building Coalitions: Michigan
Best practices
 Passing legislation
 Equal Pay Day
 Awareness of issues
 Awareness of AAUW
Who’s in Your Coalition?
Building Coalitions: It’s a Strategy!
Who do we need? &
What do we need to do to win?
.
Building Coalitions: Power Mapping
A powerful tool to analyze power
relationships and help develop a strategy for
creating change.
Power Mapping Step-by-Step
1. Determine your target
2. Map influence of target
3. Determine relational power lines
4. Target priority relationships
5. Make a plan
Power Mapping: Determine Your Target
Who is the person or institution
you want to influence?
State Sen. Jane
Smith
Power Mapping: Step 2
1. Determine your target
2. Map influence of target
3. Determine relational power lines
4. Target priority relationships
5. Make a plan
Power Mapping: Map Influence of Target
City
Council
League of
Women
Voters
Pastor
Bob
Rotary
Club
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Neighbor
Mr.
Smith
John
The
Media
The
Mayor
Donors
Voters
Power Mapping: Map Influence of Target
• Be creative: Even if you do not
decide to target certain influencers,
put them on the map
• Be strategic: Look at all major donors
and constituency groups
• Be thorough: Think about your
target from every different angle
Power Mapping: Step 3
1. Determine your target
2. Map influence of target
3. Determine relational power lines
4. Target priority relationships
5. Make a plan
Power Mapping: Determine Relational Power Lines
City
Council
League of
Women
Voters
Pastor
Bob
Rotary
Club
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Mr.
Smith
Neighbor
John
The
Media
AAUW
The
Mayor
Donors
Voters
Power Mapping: Step 4
1. Determine your target
2. Map influence of target
3. Determine relational power lines
4. Target priority relationships
5. Make a plan
Power Mapping: Target Priority Relationships
City
Council
Pastor
Bob
Rotary
Club
AFT
League of
Women
Voters
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Rotary
Club
Mr.
Smith
Neighbor
John
The
Mayor
The
The
Media
AAUW
Donors
Mayor
Voters
Girl
Scouts
Book
Club
Power Mapping: Step 5
1. Determine your target
2. Map influence of target
3. Determine relational power lines
4. Target priority relationships
5. Make a plan
Make an Outreach Plan
City
Council
Faith Groups
League of
Women
Voters
Pastor
Bob
Rotary
Club
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Mr.
Smith
Neighbor
John
The
Media
AAUW
The
Mayor
Donors
Voters
Make an Outreach Plan
City
Local Council
business
League of
Women
Voters
Pastor
leadersBob
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Neighbor
Rotary
Club
Mr.
Smith
John
The
Media
AAUW
The
Mayor
Donors
Business organizations
Voters
Make an Outreach Plan
City
Council
League of
Women
Voters
Pastor
Bob
Women’s
Rotary
Organizations
Club
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Mr.
Smith
Neighbor
John
The
Media
AAUW
The
Mayor
Donors
Voters
Make an Outreach Plan
City
Council
Physician Groups
League of
Women
Voters
Pastor
Bob
Rotary
Club
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Mr.
Smith
Neighbor
John
The
Media
AAUW
The
Mayor
Donors
Voters
Make an Outreach Plan
City
Pastor
Council
Bob
Education Organizations
League of
Women
Voters
State Sen.
Jane Smith
Rotary
Club
Mr.
Smith
Neighbor
John
The
Media
AAUW
The
Mayor
Donors
Voters
Practice: Power Mapping
Effective Coalitions
Effective Coalitions
Know your coalition members.
• Understand each group’s self interest
• Respect each group’s internal process
• Set goals together
• Structure decision-making carefully
• Agree to disagree