LINC has developed the technology strategy for key coalitions

The emergence and strengthening of coalitions of grassroots groups is one of the most encouraging signs of growing organizing on economic security issues as local groups come together regionally and nationally, empowered by technology. These coalitions are pushing issues of central concern to low-income people into the public debate, and are winning impressive victories, such as the recently enacted refundable child tax credit. Our technology capacity-building work has helped build and sustain these coalitions and has helped them maximize their limited resources.

We have learned that building the technology capacity of coalitions presents unique challenges, especially in balancing the coalition's technology aspirations with participating members' individual capacity. Our work has provided us with valuable experience in focusing on each coalition's priorities and identifying and implementing baseline standards for individual members so that they can participate effectively in the coalition. For example, before our visit to PUFF, its staff could only access email from one computer and therefore used email sporadically. After we networked all of its computers all staff had access to email and their use of email for coalition and other work immediately surged. This experience convinced the staff that email is a core element of their coalition work.

Members of the Western Regional Welfare Activist Network Presenting at a workshop on TANF Reauthorization

LINC has developed and implemented technology strategies for two prominent coalitions - the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support and the Western Region Welfare Activists Network. LINC is also working with a third and newer coalition, the National Welfare Engine Committee, which aims to support organizing on TANF reauthorization and to help groups coordinate, collaborate, and replicate successful campaigns. Our work with individual groups has enabled them to participate in GROWL, a national coalition coordinated by the Center for Third World Organizing, which among other things links welfare, immigrant rights and civil rights groups. Highlights of our work follow.

National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support: In a little over a year, the NCJIS has succeeded in forging a common vision for welfare reauthorization among a broad range of grassroots groups, including those addressing low-wage worker issues and those focusing on public benefits. NCJIS has waged legislative, media, public education, and mobilization campaigns around numerous related issues, including a minimum wage increase, fair treatment of immigrants, and access to health care.

During the past year LINC contributed to the overall campaign by finalizing and implementing the Campaign's technology strategy. We established a communication structure, identified audiences for campaign materials and implemented communication methods. We greatly expanded the Campaign's website (www.nationalcampaign.org), developed an action alert distribution list, established an Intranet page (with an online calendar, contact database and chat room) to keep geographically dispersed staff and members connected, established several listservs, and provided several trainings and ongoing consultation and support.

We made site visits to four Organizing Committee members. At Gamaliel in Illinois, we concentrated on training Gamaliel's liaison to NCJIS so that he could use office communications technology more effectively. We also addressed his need to communicate easily and effectively during his frequent road trips for NCJIS and recommended a laptop computer purchase to provide him with mobile internet access while he is on the road.

We traveled to Michigan Organizing Project's two offices. In Muskegon, we set up a new computer with Windows 95 (replacing the old computer with Windows 3.1) and trained the lead organizer on Windows 95 and the new computer's software. We also trained other staff on desktop publishing. We visited MOP's Grand Rapids office to assess its technology needs. As MOP plans its statewide expansion, we are helping staff identify intranet needs to enhance communication among staff in various offices.

We visited the Philadelphia Unemployment Project to help staff develop a technology strategy focused on improving email capacity and internet access, networking its computers, and securing a high speed DSL connection. We have provided ongoing consultation as staff works to implement this strategy. We also assisted them in developing a proposal to the Progressive Technology Project for technology capacity-building.

During a three day site visit to South Carolina Fair Share we developed a technology strategy focused on 1) planning a website that will deliver to member groups critical information for legislative campaigns and 2) networking the stand alone computers and obtaining a DSL connection. We also helped staff set up donated computers, made recommendations for the operating system, and trained staff on ebase and desktop publishing.

LINC's work is supported by a two-year contract with NCJIS.

 

Susan Eavenson, Office Coordinator for WEEL Getting Computer Consultation at a National Welfare Engine Meeting

The Western Region Welfare Activists Network, which is represented on the NCJIS Organizing Committee, represents a great deal of the depth and breadth of women's and poverty organizing work in the West and has the potential to optimize each group's strengths and amplify each group's political effectiveness. WRWAN, which is coordinated by Montana-based WEEL, also includes: WROC (Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition ) and SPAN (Statewide Poverty Action Network) in Washington; IWN (Idaho Women's Network) and UVI (United Vision for Idaho); CAUSA and the Oregon Human Rights Coalition in Oregon; SLV(San Luis Valley) Advocates, Women United, and PUFF (People United for Families) in Colorado; NEW (Nevada Empowered Women's) Project in Nevada andJEDI (Justice, EconomicDignity and Independence for Women) in Utah. Reflecting its interest in issues that affect women and children, WRWAN is focusingparticular attention on state and national legislative proposals involving family formation and caregiving issues. Its members are currently planning coordinated Congressional forums in members' home districts. WRWAN participates in the national Welfare Made a Difference Campaign (www.wmadcampaign.org), actively generating stories from low-income women for the campaign.

LINC has assisted WRWAN in developing a coalition-wide technology plan. A key element is the active coalition listserv that we administer, which was most recently used to develop a statement responding to the September 11th disaster. Other components are the website (www.wrwan.org), and a customized and shareable database for member groups. We have helped the coalition build a growing online database of progressive state legislation that its members can use in their statewide campaigns. We also helped WRWAN obtain a grant from the Progressive Technology Project to purchase technology equipment for member groups and have made site-visits to eight groups (CAUSA, NEW Project, PUFF, WROC, WEEL, UVI, JEDI for Women, Oregon Human Rights Coalition). During these visits we improved and expanded email and Internet access, installed ebase, networked systems, installed new computers, and trained staff and members. Our participation in meetings of WRWAN's steering committee and its annual conference assure that WRWAN's technology strategy closely matches its campaign activities.

The National Welfare Engine is a recent effort, funded by the Public Welfare Foundation and coordinated by WEEL, to help low-income grassroots groups collaborate on reauthorization, to reach out to groups that have not yet participated in any coalition efforts, and to support coalitions modeled on WRWAN. The LINC Senior Circuit Rider serves on its steering committee and LINC has provided initial technology strategy planning, including website planning (www.welfareengine.org).

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