What is Organizing?
Organizing is leadership that enables people to turn the resources they have into the power they need to make the change they want. As we’ll learn throughout this guide, community organizing is all about people, power, and change – it starts with people and relationships, is focused on shifting power, and aims to create lasting change. Organizing people to build the power to make change is based on the mastery of five key leadership practices: telling stories, building relationships, structuring teams, strategizing, and acting. That is, to develop our capacity for effective community organizing, we must learn:
The Five Leadership Practices
- How to articulate a story of why we are called to lead, a story of the community we hope to mobilize and why we’re united, and a story of why we must act.
- How to build intentional relationships as the foundation of purposeful collective actions.
- How to create structure that distributes power and responsibility and prioritizes leadership development.
- How to strategize turning your resources into the power to achieve clear goals.
- How to translate strategy into measurable, motivational, and effective action.
Though organizing is not a linear process, organizers use the first three practices (stories, relationships, structure) to build power within a community, while the last two practices (strategy, action) are about wielding that power in order to create change. Read More.
Upcoming event: Orientation to Organizing – Community Power to Achieve Immigrant Justice-UK
Are you searching for effective ways to build power and drive change in your communities?
Look no further! Our Orientation to Organizing on January 19th at 10 AM- 1 PM EST is the perfect opportunity. This 3-hour introductory session delves into the organizing and public narrative practices developed by Marshall Ganz at the Harvard Kennedy School and his associates. It’s one of our most sought-after sessions at LCN.
For this session, we’ve teamed up with George Gabriel to explore organizing with a special focus on empowering communities to achieve immigrant justice. We’ll draw insights from Citizens UK’s 2015 campaign, which successfully resettled 20,000 Syrians in the UK, showcasing how it scaled during a time of crisis.
Who should attend this session?
This session is ideal for individuals seeking effective ways to drive change in their communities. It offers a basic understanding of organizing and how it translates into practice.
We also encourage you to invite other members of your team, organization, and community to join you in this learning experience. Having a shared language of organizing and leadership can be powerful when working together!
Even if you’re familiar with organizing and narrative pedagogy but need a refresher on the framework’s basics, or are looking for case studies, you’ll find this session beneficial.
Finally, the timezone for this session is convenient for organizers and leaders based across Europe, Asia and Australia.
What will you gain from this session?
- Gain an introductory overview and a basic understanding of the five practices of community organizing, illustrated with a real example from a Refugees Justice campaign.
- Have the opportunity to learn from and connect with other organizers and leaders from around the world.
- Get an introduction to the Leading Change Network and our programs.
We will walk you through the five leadership practices of our community organizing framework: public narrative, relationship building, team structuring, strategizing, mobilizing people to action, and coaching. These practices are at the core of transforming our communities’ resources into the power needed to achieve the desired change.
Speakers & presenters
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Upcoming Events
Public Narrative Coach Training Program So you took a Public Narrative workshop and found something powerful in the framework – but what’s next? How can you carry this craft into your life and bring it to your organization or community for an even bigger impact? Information: Date: Application Deadline is May 15, 2025 Place: Online on Zoom Apply Now Become a Public Narrative Coach with us! This August, Leading Change Network (LCN) is launching its 4th annual Public Narrative training for coaches. . This program develops skilled coaches who are instrumental in bringing Public Narrative to organizations, activists, and leaders. With stronger coaches, we can supercharge change by weaving this impactful craft within value-driven organizations and movements. “The program gave me an enhanced sense of calling in the work I'm doing, and
Land defenders across the globe have been leading the fight to protect their lands, homes, and livelihoods from exploitation and extraction. We invite the global organizing community to come together and engage in a critical conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing land defenders and land defense campaigns worldwide. We will hear from a lineup of land defenders on the frontline. Through the session, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the struggles land defenders face, how they are building power and hope, and explore solidarity across movements. In a special collaboration between the Leading Change Network (LCN) and the Global Grassroots Support Network (GGSN), we invite you to join us on Thursday, June 19th @ 10am Eastern Time for a global conversation with land defenders. We will hear from a lineup of land defenders from across the globe. The session will be moderated by Jacob Okumu from
Public Narrative workshop We are excited to announce LCN’s annual Public Narrative workshop. Over a weekend in July, you can join our global network of organizers to tell your personal story, articulate your calling, and build authentic relationships with others on a foundation of shared values. Two-day public Narrative workshop! Information: Workshop Dates: Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27, 2025, from 9am – 3pm ET on both days. Application Deadline: July 11th 2025 Place: Online on Zoom Apply Now What you will learn Together, we will create – or re-create – the shared purpose of your community, and learn how to invite people to act on what matters most with urgency & agency. We will meet the challenge of apathy and disconnectedness with a new sense of purpose, community, and action through a key leadership practice: Public
In 2024, LCN launched Community Organizing Coach Training Programーa two-month program for organizers and campaigners to master the craft, content, and process of community organizing coaching. 22 coaches from 9 countries came together to learn how to coach their people on the five core organizing practices, equipping themselves with the skills to lead organizing workshops within their communities and enable them to win campaigns. We invite you to join us on May 7th @ 10am - 12pm Eastern Time for an interactive showcase of the innovations, challenges, and lessons from the inaugural program! Whether you’re a leader training coaches, an organization leader bringing coaching capacity to your teams, or an organizer looking to learn about our programs—come to our showcase! The session has two parts. Part 1 (10 - 11:15am ET): open to everyone! Get an overview of the program, learn about key innovations and lessons emerging from the
If not now, when? The world feels like it’s unraveling, and more than ever, we need to tell stories that inspire hope and action. But how do we tell stories that resonate with people on an experiential level and motivate them to take action? The Story of Now is often seen as the most intuitive part of Public Narrative, but it can be tricky to bring alive moments of challenge that feel urgent and resonate for the collective "us." And when the challenge is overwhelming and hope seems scarce, it can be even harder to offer a meaningful and strategic call to action. That's where our Skill Practice Session on Story of Now comes in. This 90-minute skill practice session will help you strengthen your understanding of the craft, learn to identify the resources in the room, develop a compelling story of Now, as well as coach one another
Imagine crafting a story that unites people, lifts up their shared values, and inspires inspiration. It’s all possible with a powerful Story of Us! The Story of Us lies at the heart of connection in Public Narrative, but it can also be one of the most challenging. How do we identify and bring alive moments that resonate with the collective ‘Us’? How can we pull from the depth of shared experiences within a community to articulate the shared values? Join us on June 3rd at 9am US Eastern Time / 3pm Central European Time for our Skill Practice Session on Story of Us! In this 90 min session, you will have the opportunity to strengthen your understanding of the craft, lean into the practice of empathic listening and observation, practice developing a unique story of us, and coach one another to improve our skills. This session will be led
Crafting a story of self is a transformative experienceーa process of discovering and articulating the values and experiences that define who we are and call on us to take leadership. It’s also a process that thrives when shared with others. The most authentic and powerful stories of self are nurtured in supportive spaces where we can learn, practice, and coach one another on our stories. Join us on Thursday, May 22nd at 10am US Eastern Time / 3pm UK Time for our Skill Practice Session on Story of Self! During the 90 min session, you will have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the key elements of Story of Self, further develop your personal narrative, and practice sharing and coaching in small groups. This session will be led by narrative and organizing trainer Prakriti Bhattarai Basnet. This session is exclusive for LCN members and their guests (team members,
Burnout is not inevitable. Discover how joy can be a revolutionary force in organizing. This session introduces a four-step process to address burnout by generating joy in your work, drawing on real-world examples from large-scale organizational efforts, including a transformative initiative in São Paulo, Brazil. Participants will practice the process in real time, and explore actionable strategies for building a joyful organizing environment and sustaining wellbeing within teams, organizations, and across campaigns. The events are free for members, and 15USD per event for non-members. We also have a bundled ticket for all three events at 40USD and a combination ticket for all three events + annual LCN membership for 100USD. Limited free scholarship tickets are available upon request to info@leadingchangenetwork.org. Information: Date: Thursday, Mat 29th Time: 9:00–10:30 am Eastern Time Place: Online on Zoom Sign-up! Speakers & presenters
Trust is the foundation of impactful relationships in organizing. In times where many feel a deep sense of division, how can we build trustworthiness as individuals and organizations? This session examines the societal trends affecting trust today and explores three key drivers of interpersonal trust: empathy, logic, and authenticity. Participants will practice relational strategies to communicate across disagreements and deepen trust. Learn how you can foster genuine connections and deepen interpersonal trust across your teams, campaigns, and communities as you organize for change. The events are free for LCN members, and 15USD per event for non-members. We also have a bundled ticket for all three events at 40USD and a combination ticket for all three events + annual LCN membership for 100USD. Limited free scholarship tickets are available upon request to info@leadingchangenetwork.org. Information: Date: Thursday, April 24th Time: 9:00–10:30 am Eastern Time Place: Online on Zoom Sign-up!
