Scribd
Upload
685 views17 pages

Grassroots Movement 1

Grassroots movements start small, from local community organizers rather than those already in power, and aim to create change from the bottom up in issues like civil rights, economic inequality, and social causes. They often take the form of non-profit organizations with a dedicated group of volunteers and workers promoting ideas like education reform, hunger relief, and environmental sustainability at a local level. Famous examples include the US Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and Occupy Wall Street, while effective grassroots groups in Portland focus on issues like education, child welfare, and sustainable food systems.

Uploaded by

joel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
685 views17 pages

Grassroots Movement 1

Grassroots movements start small, from local community organizers rather than those already in power, and aim to create change from the bottom up in issues like civil rights, economic inequality, and social causes. They often take the form of non-profit organizations with a dedicated group of volunteers and workers promoting ideas like education reform, hunger relief, and environmental sustainability at a local level. Famous examples include the US Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and Occupy Wall Street, while effective grassroots groups in Portland focus on issues like education, child welfare, and sustainable food systems.

Uploaded by

joel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Introduction to Grassroots: Introduces the concept of grassroots, highlighting the foundational idea and authorship.
  • Definition of Grassroots: Provides a definition of grassroots movements, emphasizing their foundational role and community-driven nature.
  • Bottom Up Approach: Explains the bottom-up nature of grassroots movements, emphasizing local organization and leadership.
  • Famous Examples of Grassroots Movements: Highlights notable examples of grassroots movements, like the Civil Rights Movement and Occupy Wall Street.
  • Common Forms of Grassroots Organizations: Discusses common forms of grassroots movements, focusing on individual and small-scale initiatives.
  • Non-Profit Grassroots Organizations: Describes non-profit organizations as a prevalent form of grassroots movement, detailing their structure and goals.
  • Well Known Non-Profit Organizations: Lists well-known non-profit organizations involved in grassroots movements.
  • Statistics on Non-Profits: Provides statistics on the prevalence and impact of non-profits within the United States.
  • Local Grassroots Initiatives: Explores grassroots initiatives at a local level, emphasizing the value in community-driven efforts.
  • Links to Local Initiatives: Offers links to local grassroots educational organizations and initiatives.
  • PDX Grassroots Opportunities: Presents opportunities in Portland for engaging in grassroots efforts and advocacy.
  • Engaging with Grassroots Movements: Encourages personal engagement in grassroots movements, offering guidance on finding one’s passion.
  • How You Can Help: Emphasizes volunteering and financial support as ways to contribute to grassroots organizations.
  • Essentials of Grassroots Organizations: Describes the essential characteristics of grassroots organizations, focusing on small-scale beginnings and volunteer-driven efforts.
  • Discussion Questions: Poses reflective questions on grassroots movements to encourage further discussion and understanding.

“From the Ground, Up”

A Quick Definition
• Merriam-Webster defines grassroots as:
– The very foundation or source
– The basic level of society or of an organization
especially as viewed in relation to higher or more
centralized positions of power
• In basic terms, a grass roots movement starts
from nothing
• Like actual grass roots, they start from the
ground and grow up
Definition
• It should be emphasized that grassroots
organizations are bottom, up movements
• They are the opposite of top, down
organizations
• Grassroots essentially means run by the
common people
Bottom Up
• Grassroots are not controlled or started by the
people already holding power
• Started by local organizers rather than upper
echelon members of society
• Recognize these people? No.


 John Dalhuisen,
Director of Amnesty
Jim Leape, Director
of the WWF
International
Famous Examples
• The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s
• Began by a small group of people with a
common goal
• Used methods like church meetings, sit-
ins, letter writing, and marching to get
their message across

• The Occupy Wall Street Movement


• Modern example that most people
today can relate to
• Started with the idea of a few, but
that idea resonated with many
Famous Examples
• I provided two examples of major grassroots
movements, can you think of any others?

• Do grassroots movements have to be marches


and protests to be considered?

• What else defines a grassroots movement?


More Common Forms
• Though things like the Civil Rights Marches
and Occupy are very popular, they are only a
tiny proportion of what makes a grassroots
movement
• Most organizations are focused individuals
who start with a basic idea and expand from
there
• What are the most common types?
Non-Profits
• These are generally the most common types
of grassroots movements
• Use revenue to achieve its goals rather than
distributing as revenue
• They usually have a small amount of paid
workers, but volunteers are generally the
corps of the organization
Well Known NPO’s
• Amnesty International
• The Red Cross
• World Wildlife Fund for Nature
• SOS Children’s Village
NPO Stats
• According to the National Center for Charitable
Statistics, there are over 1.5 million non-profit
organizations in the U.S.
• It is estimated that NPO’s employ, in a broad
sense, around 10% of the U.S. population
• The NCCS also runs a website to help people find
data and opportunities for non-profits
• [Link]
• [Link]
story/nonprofits-numbers
More Locally Based
• Just because an organization is not a non-
profit, does not mean they aren’t a grassroots
organization
• Remember, grassroots by definition means it
is an organization that when started, is
unconnected to anything else like the
government
• Do we have any grassroots around Portland?
Local Grassroots
• Zapoura provided some great links to
educational organizations for this week
– [Link]
– [Link]
– [Link]
• These are three great options but there are
tons more
A Few More In PDX
• Upset about the budget cuts and lack of school
funding? So is UPSET!
– [Link]
5/grant_high_schools_grassroots.html
• Want to help support children from the cradle to
career?
– [Link]
• Learn to eat sustainably and support those who
go hungry in our community
– [Link]
What Can You Do?
• Much like the volunteering we started this
term, participating in a grassroots movement
seems daunting
• Just take your time, figure out what you are
passionate about
• Look at the links provided or do a quick
Google search to find something that suits you
and your passions
Can You Help?
• Absolutely.
• Keep in mind, most grassroots organizations
are non-profits and need all the help they can
get
• Most welcome volunteers and people willing
to donate time and energy
• I know most of us are poor but donating
money is always appreciated as well
Essentials
• Grassroots organizations are generally started by
individuals and small groups with a focused idea
• They may broaden or narrow their focus after
starting, but always have a specific mission in
mind
– (i.e., bettering education, feeding the hungry, helping
the impoverished)
• Built on ideas but kept running by dedicated
workers and tons of volunteers
Questions
• What are some major grassroots organizations
you can think of?
• What good can these small movements do?
• Are grassroots movements ever effective?
• Do the movements have to be big and popular
to effect change or can a small group do just
as well?
• What are the implications if we don’t have
grassroots movements within our society?

You might also like