Challenge:
Child Care WORKS (CCW) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to achieve and sustain affordable, high-quality child care for the families and communities of Minnesota. The organization has accomplished significant policy gains over the past 25 years. Historically, most of CCW’s base has consisted of institutional and individual child care providers. During recent strategy planning, CCW leaders determined that the organization would benefit from exploring how to best engage and involve parents who purchase child care services in order to maximize the organization’s influence. The expansion of grassroots capacity would enable the organization to cultivate a passionate group of supporters who are most directly impacted by child care policy decisions in the state.
Solution:
grassroots solutions planned and facilitated a grassroots strategy session with the staff and board of Child Care WORKS. During the session, grassroots solutions led participants through a process of thinking about its approach and strategy for parent engagement, including resource mapping, idea generation for effective tactics, and identification of markers of progress. The group emerged with a greater understanding of the components necessary to CCW’s long-term base building and mobilization efforts.
Results:
- Shared clarity on goals and vision for engaging a parent base
- Identification of target group considerations Specific tactical options for ever-deepening levels of grassroots engagement
- Substantial groundwork for creation of a comprehensive plan to ensure CCW’s success and influence for years to come