What Can You Do to Promote Grassroots Involvement?

As a leader within your agency or organization, you have the power to set the tone for grassroots work and encourage your network (including staff, family members, and clients) to get involved in helping shape public policy for residential care facilities. The grassroots involvement from your staff, clients, and family members helps put a human face on the work your agency is doing and compliments ARRM's direct lobbying efforts by helping legislators understand the day-to-day realities of funding cuts and policy decisions.

ARRM is asking you—as a leader within your agency—to help take our grassroots involvement to the next level. We are doing this because we believe that there is strength in numbers.  When more people get involved, we can capture our legislators' attention and win on behalf of the issues that affect our work and our clients' lives.

ARRM also understands that your time is valuable and scarce. We developed the following concrete and "bite-sized" grassroots activities to help you get started in building grassroots participation within your agency.

Share the power of grassroots with your staff and family members. 
Use ARRM's  "why grassroots talking points" to discuss the importance of staff, family member, and client involvement at an upcoming staff meeting. Let them know their stories and personal experiences make a difference and encourage them to share these stories with their decision-makers.

Share your agency's experience with your decision-makers. 
Invite key decision-makers, including your legislators and community leaders, to attend your agency's upcoming event or host them for a site visit. This can help educate them about the importance of your work and the value you are providing to the community, as well as put a human face on your agency. Download a Site Visit Toolkit (Word doc) to get started.

Participate in the upcoming ARRM First Friday Phone-In calls.
Over the next several months, ARRM will be introducing new grassroots tools and discussing grassroots topics during the Friday calls. Join the calls to learn more about ARRM's grassroots priorities and the tools available to you.

Promote grassroots advocacy to your network.
Post a link to the ARRM's website and/or ARRM Facebook or Twitter pages on your agency's website. Encourage your network to join.

Offer grassroots training to your staff, family members, or clients.
Take advantage of existing grassroots resources, including training opportunities from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, the MN-CCD, and The Arc. Also, watch ARRM's website for training opportunities, and encourage your staff, family members, or clients to attend. 

Become a Grassroots mentor or mentee. 
Finally, if you'd like to share your passion and ideas for grassroots advocacy with your peers, or if you'd like to learn about grassroots work from your peers, contact Barb Brynstad at ARRM at bbrynstad@arrm.org and she will help get you enlisted as a Mentor or Mentee.