Join Us For The Road Ahead: 2024 Election
Reporting fresh off a coffee shop tour reconnecting with organizers exploring opportunities to dial-up our efforts, locally and nationally, on the road up to the 2024 election and beyond. Wanted to share both the challenges and opportunities that surfaced—while inviting you to join us for what’s ahead! Wondering if these challenges resonate? A loss of organizing culture amplified during the pandemic and ongoing disappointment of not being heard by our politicians *many we’ve elected! A frustrating pattern of playing defense stuck blocking the harmful bills coming through our legislature vs. having a vision of alignment and what we’re fighting [...]
Reflections from Nneka Akubeze: Florida Organizing Workshops
Whew! What a time in Florida, y'all! I'm just getting back from an incredible organizing workshop with 46 young folks aged 16-22 who converged at the Hope CommUnity Center (HCC) from central and south Florida. And this was just the precursor! These inspiring young leaders learned organizing just that weekend with a plan to coach their peers the following weekend where nearly 220 people gathered to ignite a movement! As you walk into the HopeCommUnity Center, you see a beautiful mural which represents the history and community. Once you pass the front desk, you are greeted with at least [...]
Transformational Change Through Servant Leadership
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” -Robert K. Greenleaf In the heart of our mission lies the transformative power of leadership, that everyone can be and is a leader. There are many types and styles of leadership, and within the Wild Project, we pay particular attention to servant leadership. A servant leader prioritizes the needs and well-being of others, emphasizing empathy, collaboration, and the empowerment of those they lead. Servant leaders serve their teams rather than expecting their teams to serve them. This approach to leadership [...]
Reflections from Santa Rosa Organizing Training
Recently, I had an insightful conversation with a fellow organizer who said, “I think we need to re-establish a culture of organizing in our state”. Still recovering from the pandemic and so often stuck playing the game of coming up with a bunch of surface-level tactics to simply meet the metrics of our funders, with little to show for it in the building of organization. That resonate? These snapshots of where people are leading by example in the “doing of it” need to be shared in light of what feels like an absence of deeper organizing happening in Wisconsin [...]
Lynette Cashaw-Davis: Organizer Spotlight
This week, we're spotlighting Ohio-based organizer, Lynette Cashaw-Davis. Follow along to see how she is making an impact in her community! 1) What are you working on now—the change you are feeling the most urgency around making in the world through your organizing? Developing a coalition of community organizations and individuals to look at addiction and recovery through the lens of equity and inclusion, and commitment to the elimination of disparities, stigma and discrimination by embracing culture-informed practices in recovery spaces. 2) If you could give a new organizer one piece of guidance, what would it be? Follow your [...]
How to Combat Organizer Burnout
What is Burnout? Burnout is more than an abundance of stress; it is the act of being emotionally and physically drained from numerous experiences simultaneously. Psychologists define burnout as a “break between what people are and what they have to do.” With so many balls to juggle, feeling intense exhaustion can be expected. Yet, there are opportunities to combat this burnout, including in the world of community organizing. Be Aware of the Symptoms Remedying burnout starts with understanding how overexhaustion and stress can show up in your body. Here are a few symptoms to look out for: Exhaustion: Feeling [...]
special thanks to our funders
special thanks to our funders
special thanks to our funders