Every day, thousands of determined people put their heads together to empower and mobilize their communities for the better. Many have used (and continue to use) digital organizing to build the framework for their progress; as a result, digital organizers have accumulated decades of knowledge. Fortunately, organizers often gather these insights into resources to share with other organizers, which means there are always new ways for organizers to improve their outreach and engagement efforts.
Whether new or a veteran organizer, anyone can gain a new perspective from this list of resources for digital organizing best practices:
1. Messaging This Moment: A Handbook for Progressive Communicators by Community Change Action
The way someone communicates a message can completely change how it's received. To help progressive organizers create authentic and effective messaging, Community Change Action released a handbook in partnership with messaging expert Anat Shenker-Osorio. This resource contains eight insightful tips on shaping progressive narratives that resonate with everyday Americans. It also shares examples of well-crafted messaging for readers to see the best practices in action.
Find the messaging guide here: Messaging This Moment: A Handbook for Progressive Communicators
2. Ensuring Virtual Events are Accessible for All by RespectAbility
One of the most important components of organizing is inclusivity, and accessibility should be an everyday consideration for organizing teams. RespectAbility, a disability-led nonprofit, outlines the best practices for creating inclusive events in its toolkit. Organizing teams can find concrete steps that they can take before, during, and after an event in this guide to ensure that events are as accessible as possible, even on Zoom.
Find the toolkit here: Ensuring Virtual Events Are Accessible for All
3. The Digital Organizing Handbook by ACRONYM
The Digital Organizing Handbook from ACRONYM is helpful for teams looking for digital organizing best practices on social media platforms like Facebook. The handbook highlights tips for organizing using Facebook, Twitter, email, and even Snapchat. Even better, it also includes tips for enhancing digital organizing through offline actions, which allows organizing teams to strengthen their on and offline presence.
Find the handbook here: The Digital Organizing Handbook by ACRONYM
4. Digital Organizing Resource Guide by State Voices
State Voice’s Digital Organizing Resource Guide is a booklet of resources on digital organizing best practices. The guide contains links and tips for multiple channels used for digital organizing, including email, social media, and digital ads. It even includes resources for improving design skills to create more engaging content! This guide is particularly useful for digital organizing teams that are just getting started in their journey.
Find the resource guide here: State Voice’s Digital Organizing Resource Guide
5. Digital Organizing Toolbox by Community Action Works
This toolbox of digital organizing best practices and tips is another great resource for organizing teams just beginning to mobilize. This compilation of resources supplies organizers with knowledge on ways to start a website, plan a social media action, write compelling petitions, and more. Each resource is broken down into digestible pieces of knowledge and should guide organizing teams as they outline how to organize online.
Find the toolbox here: Digital Organizing Toolbox by Community Action Works
6. Bonus: Digital Organizing Best Practices for Partnering with Students by Impactive
Organizing teams that want to accelerate their impact can check out this webinar from Impactive, which provides digital organizing best practices for partnering with student organizers. The webinar brings together perspectives from both sides of student organizing partnerships, and organizers share concrete ways to collaborate effectively with communities on campus.
Find the best practices here: Highlights from “Partnering with Student Organizers: Strategies for Inclusive Impact”
Or, watch the recorded webinar: Partnering with Student Organizers: Strategies for Inclusive Impact by Impactive
The resources above can be of great help for those who are seeking digital organizing best practices to expand the success of their organizing programs. There’s never a shortage of insight to gain in the world of digital organizing, and shared knowledge will only increase the number of progressive victories.
