Organizing Plan Worksheet

1. Getting Started: The Assessment Phase

•  Who (or what geographic area) do we want to organize?
•  Why do we want to organize this group/area?
•  What problems can we already identify?
•  Who will be involved in the organizing effort?
•  What do we know about our community/issue?
•  What are strengths?
•  What are weaknesses?
•  Who do we already know that we can involve?
•  What is our self-interest in wanting to organize this group?
•  What is their self-interest in becoming involved? Why would it make sense for them to become involved?
•  What are some of the end results we hope to achieve?
•  What resources do we already have?
•  What challenges and/or obstacles do we know about?
•  What is everyone involved willing and able to contribute to this effort?

2. Outreach

•  How will we conduct outreach?
•  Who is responsible?
•  When will outreach be done?
•  What is our timeline for outreach?
•  What will the focus of our outreach be? What will we ask people about? What do we hope to share with them?
•  Do volunteers involved in outreach need training and practice?
•  What do we want to happen after the initial outreach? (Form a group, increase involvement, have new set of issues identified, etc.)
•  When is our goal to have our first meeting/event/action?
•  How will we identify major issues?
•  How will we facilitate developing an action plan with the group?
•  What else do we need to know to work on this issue?