Table of Contents >
Chapter 30. Principles of Advocacy >
Section 4. Recognizing Allies >
Recognizing Allies |
Tools & Checklists | Contributed by Eric Wadud Edited by Jerry Schultz, Bill Berkowitz, and Michelle Loewenstein |
Tool 1: Community resource inventory for recognizing allies
Tool 2: Potential allies risks vs. benefits exercise
Tool 3: Ally power grid
Tools
Tool 1: Community resource inventory for recognizing allies
Completing this table will help you determine who your allies might be for your advocacy campaign and what they are doing, or could be doing, about the issue.
Community resource inventory for recognizing allies
| Sources of Allies | Potential Allies | What Are They Doing? (or what could they be doing on the issue?) | Contacted? |
| Who is already working on the issue in your community? | | | |
| Possible other allies based on general information sources: | | | |
| Yellow pages | | | |
| Social service Directory | | | |
| Neighborhood assistance groups | | | |
| Chamber of Commerce | | | |
| City Hall | | | |
| Members of your own group, colleagues and friends | | | |
| Others | | | |
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Tool 2: Potential allies risks vs. benefits exercise
This table will help you recognize the risks and benefits each potential ally faces when considering joining your group. Knowing these is important when contacting potential allies to join you.
Example: Allies' Risks vs. Benefits Exercise. The following table shows how a group of people who organized to reduce school violence might go about determining who cares about their issue.
The Problem: Increasing violence between students at Happy Valley High School. Your group wants to hire a security guard as a part of a program to reduce violence at the school.
| Ask yourself | Examples | What are the benefits?
What do they gain if you win? | What are the risks? |
| Whose problem is it? | Students | - Safer schools
- A better learning environment.
| Stricter rules/codes at school-less freedom |
| | Teachers | - Safety for themselves and students
- Increased job satisfaction
| Might get blamed for stricter rules |
| | Parents | - Children are safe
- Better education for their children
| Might lead to a tax increase Other financial costs? |
| | Local education board | - Increased community support
| May be expensive, which might decrease political support, especially if the program is not successful. |
Potential Allies Risks vs. Benefits Exercise
| Ask yourself | Examples | What are the benefits?--What do they gain if you win? | What are the risks? --What might they lose? |
| Whose problem is it? | | | |
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Tool 3: Ally power grid
This table will help clarify the power(s) a potential ally may bring to your group, and thereby help identify which allies will are the most valuable to your group
| Type of Power | Power Appraisal: Do they have a lot of it or not? | Give an Example |
| Members: How many members does the group have?
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| Money: Will they donate money to your issue?
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| Credibility: Do they bring special credibility?
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| Appeal: Do they have special appeal?
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| Network: Are they part of a large, organized network?
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| Reputation: Do they have a reputation for toughness?
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| Skills: Do they have special skills?
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| Newsworthy: Are they particularly newsworthy?
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| Other:
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Checklist
Here, you'll find a checklist summarizing the major points contained in the text.
___You understand that allies are people, or groups of people, who have the same interests as you, or the capacity or resources to help you.
___You know why you need allies.
- Allies can help you achieve your mission
- They can share their resources and information to achieve a common goal
- The community is more likely to pay attention if there are more people working towards that goal
___You know how to find allies.
- You know how to conduct an "ally search" in:
- Community resource inventory/directory
- Yellow pages
- Local social service directory
- Neighborhood assistance services
- Chamber of commerce
- City hall
- Your group members, friends, colleagues
- You know how to use the "snowball technique," by asking your known allies to list other potential allies and then asking each of those groups to identify more potential allies
- You know how to identify allies by examining various sectors of your community such as religious organizations, businesses and health care, and identifying organizations within each sector who might be potential allies
___ You know if you and your allies care about the same things
___You know to consider your allies' risks vs. benefits
___You know how to use the Ally Power Grid to determine which allies you should contact first
___Contact Your Allies