A coalition is an agreement between two or more parties who work together to achieve a similar goal. This process is like putting a puzzle together. It is important to get as many people and groups together as possible to work towards a common goal. One way to create an effective coalition is through using grassroots coalition-building. Grassroots campaigns are based on developing coalitions within your community to influence your legislators. Through the development of coalitions within your community, you are uniting many different constituencies under a common cause. The other effective way to create a coalition is to connect with local and national groups who have similar legislative goals.
Once you have built a coalition of key players from your communities, you need to call them to action. This can be a time-intensive task but worthwhile if you do it the right way. There is no better way to influence a legislator than through an organized grassroots campaign. You can activate your grassroots network through writing letters of support for your issue, attending town hall meetings, making phone calls, and attending in-person meetings with the legislator you are trying to target. These are the most effective methods to benefit your cause.
When reaching out to specific groups or individuals, consider: Are these individuals affected by this issue? Will they be benefited? In order to act as motivator to offer their time and support, these individuals or groups need to see the potential of a positive outcome for themselves or for their group. You need to sell them on your legislative issue and its benefits to the greater community.
You can potentially reach out to the following groups:
Communities and constituents
- Friends
- Family
- Coworkers
- Clergy Members
- The Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Communities
- Mayors
- Governors
- City Councils
- Boards of Supervisors
- Chambers of Commerce
- Workforce Development Offices
- Courts
- Attorneys
- Judges
Support groups that have state offices
National support groups
Any person or group who lives in a legislator’s district will be able to influence the legislator by contacting them. Remember, individual constituents have the power to reelect a legislator. Creating an effective coalition that consists of both constituents and support groups will give your cause the best chance of gaining support from legislators.