Presented by Barbara Popovic at the 2012 Alliance for Community Media national conference in Chicago, IL.

1. BUILDING POWER FOR YOUR
ORGANIZATION
cantv.org/power
James Thindwa and Barbara Popovic
Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV)

2. WHY ORGANIZE?
YOUR ORG>>>>>>THE PEOPLE
INSTITUTION>>>>>COMMUNITY
ADVOCACY>>>>>>>ORGANIZING
ORG STANDS UP/THE PEOPLE>>>
PEOPLE STAND UP/THE ORG

3. SET GOALS
ORGANIZE TO BUILD POWER
CAPITALIZE ON ORGNIZATION’S
STRENGTHS
ADDRESS ORGANIZATION’S
VULNERABILITIES

4. VALUE OF ORGANIZING
TRIANGULATE TO CREATE
LEVERAGE
TAP POWER AT THE BASE AND
BUILD FROM THERE
ONGOING, NOT EPISODIC OR
REACTIVE
TRANSFORMATIONAL, NOT
TRANSACTIONAL

5. MOVING TOWARD ACTION
MAPPING
MESSAGING
MEETING
MOBILIZING

6. MAPPING THE POWER DYNAMIC:
ALLIES
USERS
COMMUNITY GROUPS
POLITICAL ALLIES
COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST
MEDIA

7. MAPPING THE POWER DYNAMIC:
OPPONENTS
“ALLIES”
NATURAL - COMPANY INTERESTS
COMPETITORS
HARD CORE - (POWERFUL OR NOT?)
MEDIA

8. MESSAGING
• TARGETS/TIMELINES
• RESONANCE
• RESEARCH (COMMUNITY NEEDS
ASSESSMENT)
• MESSENGER/MESSAGES

9. Financial Value of Local & Commercial
Programming - Compared
The average amount subscribers responded should be applied from their monthly cable bill to
create local community programming or to pay for each of 5 commercial channels.
$4.22
450%
400%
350%
300%
250%
$1.90
$1.60 $1.54
200% $1.48
150% $1.08
100%
50%
0%
Local ESPN Fox News Comcast Sci-Fi Channel MTV
programming SportsNet

11. ENGAGING ALLIES:
Community Leaders
• IDENTIFY
• TRAIN
• PICK MESSENGERS
• DETERMINE TARGETS

12. ENGAGING ALLIES:
Collaborations
• TACTICS
• TOOLS
• TIMING

13. MOVING TOWARD ACTION:
Get Your House in Order
• GOOD FISCAL MANAGEMENT
• ALIGN INTERNAL RESOURCES
• ESTABLISH CLEAR PRIORITIES
• INCREASE COMMUNICATIONS
• EDUCATE - BE ADAPTABLE

14. MOBILIZING
• GROUND WAR
• AIR WAR

15. 4 R’S
• RECOUP
• REVIEW
• REALIGN
• REGROUP

16. BUILDING POWER FOR YOUR
ORGANIZATION
cantv.org/power
James Thindwa and Barbara Popovic
Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV)