The Computer: The Grass Roots Orgainzier's Best Friend

There are a number of things necessary for a successful grass roots project. The main focus of the project will have to be researched thoroughly so that your statistics and supporting information are both current and accurate. Chances are, with a Google or Bing search, information on your particular cause will already appear online.
You will be able to see what others are doing in your area of concern, how successful others have been and what tactics were used to bring supporters to the cause. You may become aware of concerns that others have faced, such as any legal issues surrounding your cause. You may also find funding sources, and what experts in the field think about projects like yours.
A technical approach to research is to ‘optimize your search engine’ so that the information you find is more to the point. You can learn to do this at: http://www.seo.grassroots.org. There are sections for Volunteers and Non Profits. You can even sign up for a ‘webinar’ (online seminar).
One important step is to create a Logo. You don’t have to be a design pro to do this. Experts tell us that the logo should visually communicate what you are about. Black and white can easily be duplicated for print materials, however, a colour logo has more eye appeal for web and poster designs. Logo design can be done online. There are a number of sites, such as LogoMaker where you can design a logo http://www.logomaker.com/ppc2-1/?source=PPC|1|16|2, If you like your design you can purchase the files for under $100.00
For a free logo, check out http://cooltext.com.
Another important tool for growing your grass roots project is your ‘online presence’. Many people today use the internet to find out how motivated and realistic special interest groups are. As mentioned before, the facts and figures you have gathered can be presented in a meaningful manner. You can state clearly just how anyone can participate. Events can be advertised and you can showcase your positive results.
Your website or blog should have a name (URL) that is easily remembered. It helps to have pictures or video of members participating in your activities. You should also apply your strong teacher skills when laying out your information in a manner that will capture the interest of anyone checking out your cause.
There are many free web hosting services. Well, free is not quite true. In signing up for the ‘free’ hosting you agree to have advertising posted on your site. If this is not a problem, then a free site is the way to go. Check out:
http://www.freewebsites.com/. If you need to build your site, check out: http://www.lola.com.
Free Blog space can be found at http://www.blogger.com/start. Of course, if you can afford to pay for a website, you have a lot more control over what is on your site and who has access to add or change site information.
The most successful way of getting a message out is through the social networking sites, It is estimated that on an average day, 13% of all internet users visit at least one social networking site. An excellant ‘How To’ video has been produced to guide you through this process.
http://www.howcast.com/videos/88596-How-To-Create-a-Grassroots-Movement-Using-SocialNetworking-Sites. Using this method of communication, your message or project can be spread as far afield as your network extends. It is also a cool way to bring people together with a variety of expertise to look at different aspects of the same cause.
You don’t even need to have a computer with you at all times to benefit from the Social Networking aspects of grass roots projects. Many people are using a cell phone or Blackberry to keep up to date with FaceBook, YouTube or other networking sites. It doesn’t take too much time or effort to set up online video conferencing using your cell phone, night or day.
Record keeping is so much easier when computerized. You may want to have a membership application form and be able to quickly pull together a phone list that is up to date. Check out the Microsoft download site for templates at;
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=membership&av=TPL000.
One last suggestion would be to remember to back up all of your information on CD, DVD, Flash Drive or Portable Hard Drive, often. You wouldn’t want to lose all that hard work if your laptop is lost or your desktop crashes.

Computer Ease is a regular feature of the
RTO/ERO Renaissance.
Share your ideas with the author at: mail4wayne@cogeco.ca or http://rtocomputerease.blogspot.com/