Resource Type: Evaluation & Measuring Progress

To build effective, powerful campaigns capable of winning, we must understand what power our movement and communities have, and what power our opponents have. Join us for an hour training to dive into power mapping 101 – identifying who has power in our constituency, and using power mapping tools to determine what will move decision makers.

The coalition cohort comes out of the learnings from the Blueprint for a Multiracial, Cross-Class Movement, a report on what works – and what doesn’t – in coalition work. The Lab’s indepth guide to building stronger, more equitable coalitions that support coalitions in winning bold climate policy. Drawing from case studies, organizers interviews, the Blueprint Report identified key practices that help coalitions thrive, like shared decision making, mutual accountability and healthy conflict resolutions. It included research backed report and a hands on workbook to support colations navigating internal dynamics across power, race and class.
This spring, the findings from the Blueprint report didn’t just sit on paper, they sparked action. In response to overwhelming interest from the ground, the LAB launched the Coalitions Training Cohort, a 5 month intensive program designed to put the Blueprint into practice. This cohort included leaders from nearly two dozen environmental justice coalitions, clean energy campaigns, local climate tables, and transit equity fights.
From the very beginning, the cohort surfaced the real, often unspoken challenges facing today’s colations. How do we share power without replicating the systems we’re trying to dismantle? How do we move beyond report-outs and disengagement and instead spark meaningful participation? How do we speak honestly, especially when the truth might cause tension? Coalition leaders named what many have felt but rarely had space to share: decision-making processes are often murky, conflict feels risky, and burnout is quietly draining our movement’s capacity. Most striking of all was the collective realization that many coalitions haven’t paused to reflect on how we’re making decisions or why. These questions weren’t just theoretical, they were live challenges shaping coalition life every day. In this newsletter, we’re sharing some of the powerful learnings and reflections we took away from the Coalition cohort.

Power mapping supports organizers in understanding the stakeholders within their campaign. This resource offers step by step instructions and tips for power mapping your campaign.

A dangerous House reconciliation bill puts critical clean energy gains at risk. It proposes deep cuts to renewable energy tax credits, expands fossil fuel infrastructure, and slashes support timelines for federal clean energy projects. These changes threaten to undermine community-owned initiatives, derail national efforts to combat the climate crisis and delay or cancel an estimated $14 billion worth of clean energy developments. But this moment is also a call to action—and communities are answering it.

Over the last few years, I have been coaching small and medium-sized organizations on how to evolve their digital and data technology programs to meet the needs of their missions. Through this work, I’ve learned some key takeaways on how to invest and build infrastructure that will help staff further the mission, without being a burden. Below are a few takeaways from this work with PUSH Buffalo.

Winning climate campaigns requires understanding the public to make strategic, data-driven decisions and capture the public narrative. This training is for advocates who understand the basics of public opinion research but want more concrete guidance on how to work with polling researchers to inform your campaigns and communications. Join the Yale Program for Climate Change Communication, the Climate Advocacy Lab, and the Environmental Polling Consortium for an interactive webinar that will guide participants through working with pollsters, polling methodology, and best practices.

Following our training “Recruitment and Retention: Building Your Base and Keeping Folks Around,” this tip sheet offers practical guidance on how to bring new people into your work and keep them engaged over time.