Issue: Organizational Development

What is a strategy? How are your strategy and theory of change interrelated? How do you develop a power-building strategy?  
In part 4 of our Power & Strategy training series, we will be talking about all things strategy! We will be focusing on why having a power-building strategy is important and the steps to developing a transformative strategy. This training will focus on: 
• Define what a strategy is compared to tactics
• Developing a power-building strategy that is rooted in winning  
• Deepen our understanding of how a strategy is related to our theory of change. 
*This webinar is private and available to LAB MEMBERS ONLY. If you are not a member and would like to attend, then please reach out to us at info@climateadvocacylab.org to apply for membership.*

What is a theory of change? What is its utility in your organizing and campaigning work? How do you develop a theory of change and how does it work?
A theory of change can help clarify how change happens, what progress and success look like, and what it takes to get there. In part 3 of our Power & Strategy we will focus on: 
• Defining the utility of theory of change in your work 
•  A framework of the different components of a theory of change
•  Step by step instructions for developing or workshopping an existing theory of change

Certain organizing strategies can allow activists to develop leadership skills in different ways. In Australia, the organization School Strike for Climate (SS4C) has generated more involvement among high school students in the climate movement. SS4C has particularly employed some tactics such as “peer learning, mentoring, learning by doing, confrontation, reflective spaces and training” to allow new high school activists to develop leadership skills. SS4C used movement tactics such as mobilizing, organizing, and lobbying politicians, and these different avenues for involvement also allowed new activists to engage in different ways to develop different skills, and lead others in doing them. These different tactics also have different strengths and weaknesses in facilitating leadership development through their execution.

Environmental nonprofits often need to alter their board practices, build connections, and create co-powered solutions in order to recruit and retain Black members on their boards. This report argues that philanthropic funders don’t trust BIPOC-led organizations as much as white-led organizations, and this causes fewer Black placements onto nonprofit boards. Environmental nonprofit boards need to be “ready” for Black board members by showing true dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and to combatting racism. Boards need to “recruit” by creating and network and pipeline of potential board members, and they need to “retain” by doing comprehensive onboarding, dealing with microagressions and overt racism, and not tokenizing Black board members. This report breaks down all these lessons in more detail.