Building a Grassroots Single-Payer Organization

This is Healthcare-NOW’s guide to help you build a grassroots single-payer organization, starting from a single activist! The goal of this guide is to offer a structured four-stage plan for the very beginning stages of getting a new organization off the ground. Upon reaching stage four of this guide, you will have a list of at least 500 supporters, a coalition of nine supportive organizations, a core of eight leaders, and a defined leadership structure. At this point, your organization will develop its own multi-year strategic plan and approve annual work plans, setting your own organizing and outreach goals moving forward.

Please contact us at Healthcare-NOW if you plan on using this guide – we are here to help and support you!

Stage #1: Build an Initial Core of Activists (click for resources and worksheets)

Goals to achieve in this stage:

• Map the Affected Communities You Want to Organize
• Identify a Home for your Single Payer Campaign
• Identify and Train At Least Two Leaders from Affected Communities
• Recruit 10 Members From Affected Communities, Onboard With One-on-One Meetings
• Organize One Event or Action

Stage #2: Grow Your Campaign (click for resources and worksheets)

Goals to achieve in this stage:

• Identify and Train Two Additional Leaders (Four+ Total) from Affected Communities
• Recruit 40 More Members (50+ Total) from Affected Communities, Onboard With One-on-One Meetings
• Get Three Organizations to Endorse Single-Payer & Join Your Campaign (Begin Coalition Building)
• Build a Presence on Social Media
• Organize Two Events or Actions

Stage #3: Organize and Build Initial Infrastructure (click for resources and worksheets)

Goals to achieve in this stage:

• Identify and Train Four Additional Leaders (Eight+ Total) from Affected Communities
• Recruit 250+ Total Members from Affected Communities, Onboard With One-on-One Meetings
• Get Three More Organizations (6+ Total) to Endorse Single-Payer & Join Your Campaign
• Organize Three Actions or Events
• Set Up Online Database, Mass Email Service, CRM

Stage #4: Create an Organization With a Strategic Plan (click for resources and worksheets)

Goals to achieve in this stage: