Building Nonprofit or Grassroots Organizations

Nonprofit and grassroots organizations have been around for a long time. In fact, the first nonprofit organization in the United States was the creation of the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage back in 1775. The first grassroots movement began in the early 1900s, but really took hold in the 1960s when environmental protection came into the mainstream spotlight. For instance, Rachel Carson, who wrote Silent Spring (632 Car), was a major proponent of environmental remediation as well as law and policy. Another such movement included the Bundy standoff at Standing Rock in 1993 when the US Bureau of Land Management ordered a local rancher to pay grazing fees for his livestock on federal lands. Author Jacqueline Keeler details this account in her book, Standoff: Standing Rock, the Bundy Movement, and the American Story of Sacred Lands (323.1197 Kee).

So, what actually is a grassroots organization? It is typically a nonprofit venture that uses people of a local district, region, or community as a basis for environmental, political or economic change. These organizations use collective action from the local level to the federal level, from the national to international levels. Grassroots organizations also collect money from individual donors to support their cause. If you want more information on a how to start a grassroots organization or movement event, please check out our title Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World by Shel Horowitz (658.8 Hor).

If you are looking to start a nonprofit at the local level, the library has many resources to help you get started. Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability by John Olberding (658.4012 Bui) is a foundation for starting a new organization. We also have several other selections such as The Nonprofit Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Run Your Nonprofit Organization (658.048 Gro); How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation (346.73 Man), and Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability (658.4012 Bui). Whether you are interested in grassroots environmentalism or a nonprofit organization to support almost any cause (such as the American Cancer Society, Red Cross, Autism Society of America, Wounded Warrior Project, or environmental nonprofits like The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, or Audubon Society), we have information for you.

If you a looking for startup funding opportunities, try reading Winning Grants Step by Step: Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing and Writing Successful Proposals (658.15 O’Ne) or Grant Writing for Dummies (658.15 Bro). If you already have funding in place, management is important. For more information, check out The Nonprofits Guide to Human Resources: Managing your Employees and Volunteers (658.3 Non). For advertising purposes, we have Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing (303.484 McK).

Remember that we all have a stake in helping others, helping our cause, or supporting a movement. We can learn from nonprofits and other grassroots organizations because No One is Too Small to Make a Difference (by Greta Thunberg; 333.72 Thu). Together, we can all make a difference in our community, in our state, in our nation, or even globally. Stay true to your cause Mont. Co.