Every organization that lobbies needs assistance when it comes to keeping things in order and wading through the clutter. Most groups are understaffed, underpaid and could use a helping hand with the things that larger organizations often take for granted. So if you are considering adding some new Grass Roots Software weapons to your arsenal, here are some hints to help you along when you are choosing new grass roots software.
Don’t Underestimate Quality over Quantity
Effective communication is one of the most important factors when considering your software. You’ll want to be able to break your database up into distinct groups for easier dissemination of vital information. After the initial segmentation, you will find that quality communication to a small groups of people rather than the same information to a large group will send a much louder message.
Equip the Tools you Need
Look into acquiring tools that will help you gather information from your supporters. Good information will help you manage better and enable you to separate the wheat from the chaff. And a stellar grassroots system will help you to automate the process. Using software that enables members to enter information can help ease the workload and allow focus to additional areas.
Assemble Small Armies
Tom Peters, business management guru and author once said, “Community organizing is all about building grassroots support.” Which, in essence, is a far easier task to achieve with a small group of dedicated people, than it is with a large group of un-organized constituents. A friendly call from a friend is far more beneficial than a hundred unsigned emails sent with little regard.
Build a Strong Message
When it’s finally time for you to begin your email campaign, it’s important to remember two things: you know what needs to be said, and your supporters should be aware of what they can say to help. A good quality software should be able to help you build the strength between the two by helping them build the text that needs to be said, so that ad hoc messages don’t lead to poor responses resulting in mal-informed constituents.
Divide and Conquer
There are two types of targeted grassroots campaigns: targeted legislator and constituent. It is important to delineate between the two, because differentiating as to who gets your message, can make or break the impact of what you want to get across. Your software should be able to pair the proper people with the appropriate channels to accomplish your goal automatically. It should be making your job easier, while making your message clearer.
For additional information on how you can better assist your organization with assessing, selecting, implementing, and developing technology, we invite you to contact us any time.