Online grassroots organizing with limited budget and resources

From: Mashable
5 Tips for Sparking a Grassroots Movement Online, by  Anne Driscoll

• “Social action” comes easy to those who understand the value of service, helping others and devoting themselves to making the world a better place despite challenges. The trick is turning that personal motivation into a widespread and impactful movement. Grassroots communities are a way to get actionable success even with limited budgets and resources.

• 1. Don’t Raise an Issue, Tell a story -- Simply combining facts and emotions into a powerful narrative conveys far more than a 40-page proposal. Through storytelling, you make a human connection between your audience and the cause.

• 2. Reward Your Supporters -- Enable and reward your biggest evangelists to increase their participation. They will in turn help you create momentum and spread your message.

• 3. Amplify your Message -- Build a campaign hub where you can broadcast online actions which your supporters can then share on their social graphs.

• 4. Remove Barriers to Participation -- Creating a central and clear call to action is key to getting folks involved in the next level of support. In addition to participation, make fundraising goals and tools a prominent part of your outreach so people can easily — and safely — contribute to your movement.

• 5. Empower Your Volunteers -- Set clear expectations on what it means to get involved and what they will receive in return. Keep volunteers in the loop and share how they have played a part in your success.

The social network technology behind Web 2.0 has reached maturity; and it is still developing, and is growing in the number of users engaged in political activism.  In addition to volunteering/ supporting ongoing large social movements, you have the opportunity to start your own movement from scratch.