Challenge:
In early 2009, HIRE Minnesota formed a coalition of over 65 community organizations to advocate for public investments that would jump-start the state’s economy, start to ease the climate crisis, promote healthy communities, and provide access for all people to jobs, training and living wages. As federal economic stimulus dollars began to flow into Minnesota, HIRE Minnesota launched an initiative to advocate that some of those monies be used to create green jobs and recruit and train people in low-income communities across the state to fill the jobs. HIRE Minnesota needed support to rapidly develop infrastructure for communications and public engagement around this initiative that would a) keep all coalition members informed of developments, b) support coalition members in using a unifying message for their organizing and outreach efforts, and c) provide meaningful ways for community members to get involved and take action.
Solution:
grassroots solutions’ first step was to help HIRE Minnesota choose an integrated data management and e-advocacy system that enabled them to track, communicate with, and mobilize supporters. Once that data infrastructure was in place, the grassroots solutions team worked with HIRE Minnesota to design a set of community engagement activities in support of their initiative, including house parties and letter-writing parties, and then created tool kits to support volunteers as they organized these activities. The grassroots tool kits were made available both online and at HIRE Minnesota offices. grassroots solutions also made recommendations and supported the roll-out of actions that people could take after attending one of these house parties or letter-writing parties, such as calling legislators or sending them postcards. To support HIRE Minnesota’s goal of mobilizing supporters around pending legislation, grassroots solutions helped develop a Capitol Day outreach strategy and provided training for coalition members focused on lobbying communications and volunteer recruitment skills.
Results:
By securing new communications infrastructure and implementing engagement activities that allowed supporters to take action, HIRE Minnesota:
- Played an instrumental role in persuading state legislators to support the Energy Program Bill - legislation that was signed into law by the Governor during a severe budget shortfall for the state. This new law created $2.5 million in government funding for green jobs training programs for low-income people and for outreach programs to recruit people of color to participate in weatherization programs throughout the state.
- Brought more than 1,000 supporters to a rally at the State Capitol during a rain and hail storm to advocate on behalf of HIRE Minnesota’s priorities.
- Galvanized hundreds of people to take action, including creating videos, hosting house parties and letter-writing parties, and calling their legislators.