Sustaining Groups

CGE 2006 RESULTS groups are the fundamental building block of our movement to create the political will to end poverty. Here are some key concepts and tools for keeping your group active and focused on bold, edgy actions.

Roots of a Powerful Group — Meeting the Needs

Understanding why people volunteer is critical. Volunteers don’t have to do any of this stuff, they choose to. Why? They must have needs they are trying to meet. If we understand those needs, we can build our groups to meet them. What do volunteers need?

Change: They need to be able to make change happen in a more powerful way than they can on their own, or with other groups. The group and the organization must offer this.
Relationship: They need and desire relationship. Volunteers want to make change happen, but they also want to like and enjoy the people they are volunteering with. They want to be with people with shared values and passions. Getting to know each other personally is an important part of building a powerful group.
Learning and Personal Growth: They need to grow personally. Many of us want to gain new skills and knowledge — we want to learn something. We also want to know that we are more powerful because of our participation. We want to be able to walk away and use our new skills and power to make other kinds of change happen, to apply them to our jobs, or to build our resume.
Time: They need for participation to be manageable. Volunteers want to be able to participate meaningfully in the amount of time they have available.

So, what does this mean for you and your group members? Each of you needs to be aware each other’s needs and try to create a group that meets those needs.

Welcome Packet

Do you have a new partner in your midst? After you have signed them up for New Activist Orientation (by contacting Lisa Marchal at lmarchal@results.org), customize and print off these elements for a welcome packet you can offer!

1. Welcome letter

2. The RESULTS mission, vision, and organizational structure, to help explain how we do what we do

3. Partner agreements, to help explain what we expect of each other

4. Participation form (in case this has not yet been filled out and mailed to the DC office)

5. "30 Years of RESULTS" fact sheet, to further inspire your group's new addition! (You can also request hard copies of our color tri-fold brochure celebrating our 30 years by contacting Cynthia Stancil at cstancil@results.org.)

6. Our RESULTS group's story, to help newcomers see where you've been and where you're now going together

7. Group roster template, to ease the process of staying in good communication

8. Group upcoming schedule template, to help any new partner keep current and be part of the action

9. RESULTS logo, to add to the front of your Welcome Packet folder or binder!

Continue to see more about What Makes Groups Work, Coaching Groups