Coalition building

In this guide, we explain how to do coalition building. First, we explain what coalitions are. Secondly, we provide steps to start a new coalition. Thirdly, we help you maintain an existing coalition. Finally, we list some common challenges and explain how to address them.

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Related articles: Also check out our guide on strengthening a movement of movements. In that guide, we take a step back and look at the complex relations between social movements. In this guide, we focus on the practicalities of starting a collaboration in the form of a coalition.

Summary

When multiple groups and organisations come together to work on a campaign, they often opt to collaborate together in a coalition.

Coalitions, however, have garnered a reputation for causing campaigners headaches due to their frequently slow, bureaucratic and top-down decision-making processes.

In this guide, we look at an alternative way of building powerful collaborative campaigns. Networked coalitions, also called “networked campaigns”, harness the power of networks to develop more agile, dynamic and distributed campaigning coalitions that have proven themselves to be remarkably effective at building and channelling collective power.

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