Pub 5. 2015 Issue 3

18 AUTOMOBILE DEALER NEWS ILLINOIS www.illinoisdealers.com A nyone interested in any sort of activism should focus on political grassroots because the opportunities there can transform government on every level, from city govern- ment to federal government and everything in between. Why is grassroots activism effective? It’s simple. That’s where you can cause the most change. Associations are a natural for grassroots activism because, quite frankly, that’s the major reason why associations exist at all. Their purpose is to advocate for a group. They work because a group of people who share a common interest and an organization are more powerful than the same people minus the organization. Dealership associations are powerful because there are ac- tually at least two organizations involved: each dealership is a business organization by itself, with its own political influence and power, and dealerships are often part of associations as well. Associations can often communicate an entire industry’s views to the politicians who represent them. Although associations have to follow state and federal restrictions about partisan activities, individual dealerships are free to lobby legislators and make hefty campaign donations. Organizations that have overlapping membership, therefore, are even more powerful than either one would be by itself. Does that power have any chance at making a difference? Yes. If you are like most people, you may hesitate to get involved because so many people look down on any kind of politics as being inherently dishonest. You might also hesitate because you don’t think you have a shot at bringing about any real changes to the existing system. As an association, acting sooner is better than acting later. The earlier you head off problems as a group, the easier they are to solve. Neglect the problems, though, and they only get worse. In politics, the work isn’t that bad: educating yourself so you can vote, and maybe volunteering some help wherever it seems you could do so most effectively. There are three reasons you should consider using your as- sociation to start a grass-roots effort: 1. It will be effective if it is done right. Few people partici- pate in the political process, so those who do take a part have more influence than they would have otherwise. Activists have known this for years. Politicians already know that businesses and associations can be powerful. It’s only natural for them to listen to what these organi- zations have to say. The more powerful the association, the more intently politicians will listen. 2. Grass-roots efforts can do a good job of educating people, especially when your efforts are combined with mass media. By informing people about important issues, it becomes easier to involve those others about making changes. Most people suffer from information clutter — there is simply too much going on for people to be able to thoughtfully consider every piece of information that comes their way, and it can also be hard to know who to trust. An association’s grassroots effort can solve these problems, extracting the most important parts and de- ciding how to maximize results, and then giving that information to those who are interested. The process can be both efficient and reliable. The result is predictable. People who are informed and know they can make a dif- ference are much more likely to work with you in their votes than people who are apathetic and unprepared. 3. Grassroots organizations train future leaders. When someone gets involved on a grassroots level, it can some- times become obvious that they have the ability, the intelligence, and the willingness to do more and be more. As people provide service through a grassroots organiza- tion, it’s not uncommon for them to be noticed and then to be given additional opportunities. Once you decide to put the efforts of your association into a grassroots campaign, there are some things you need to under- stand: • A grassroots campaign is not something that can be man- aged from the top down. You can influence the people who are involved, but you cannot manage them. There has to be genuine interest on the part of all participants or it isn’t going to work. • It is not only possible to inspire grassroots participants; it’s necessary. This is done through an intelligent and sensible appeal. To be persuasive, you have to be honest. When Grassroots Activism: The Art of Growing Change BY SUSAN MORGAN, THE NEWSLINK GROUP