Introducing the Movement Infrastructure Project
Friends,
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Movement Infrastructure Project, a grassroots initiative that’s aimed at getting organizers and activists the tools they need to take bold action, build strong organizations, and create transformative change. We know that when our movements have access to the tools and resources we need, we can accomplish incredible things and build collective power.
That’s why the Movement Infrastructure Project is working hard to develop a robust set of organizing tools that our community can share because we want to help eliminate barriers to taking action and give our movements the flexibility we need to rapidly scale and respond to new threats and opportunities.
We’ve got big plans for the months and years ahead, but today we’re excited to kickoff this project with:
An Equipment Library where movement organizations can borrow or rent sound equipment, staging, projectors, tools, tables, chairs, tents, and all sorts of other gear. Our inventory will be growing but click here to check out what we’ve got in our catalog already!
A Movement Calendar, tracking grassroots actions and events, and major political timelines like the Congressional Calendar, Supreme Court argument and decision days, and national and global events. Check it out to see what’s going on or if you see something we missed fill out this form to add it to the calendar.
A library of resources on organizing actions and events in DC including information on permitting across the myriad of Federal and Local jurisdictions in our community, a database of meeting and event spaces in DC, and a “know your rights” document.
A space for meetings and events! We’re partnering with the Petworth United Methodist Church on Grant Circle to create a physical presence for the Movement Infrastructure Project. We’ve got office space, art-build and production space, and we can use the sanctuary and church hall for bigger events like forums, meetings, lectures, and training.
As we go forward we’re hoping to stand up a training program, convene intentional meetings and forums for information sharing and collaboration and create more robust digital tools and shared equipment.
We’re a group of organizers and activists who have been doing grassroots movement work for a long time, so we have our laundry lists of things we wish our movements had access to, but we also need to hear from you about what you’re excited about, where you think the gaps are in our social movement infrastructure and how you want to jump in to create shared tools for our movement.
Excited about what we’re up to? Fill out this survey to let us know what you need and how you want to be involved!
Join us on April 10th!
What would the launch of an exciting new project be without a party!? Join us from 6pm to 9pm on Wednesday, April 10th at our new home, the Petworth United Methodist Church for our kickoff event! We’ll have some food and drinks, music, tours of the space, and ways to sign up to get involved.
Everybody is welcome but please RSVP so we can know how many people to expect!
Can’t make it but think this is a cool project?
We’re doing a whole lot with not a lot of resources. And we don’t have foundation funding or large donors (Not yet, at least! If that’s you we’d LOVE to connect!). But we know that investing in shared movement infrastructure is one of the most efficient ways to support social movement work.
So if you can’t join us in person on the 10th, please think about making a donation to support this really exciting work!
If we build this project up to its full potential, emerging groups won’t need to scrape to get megaphones, or a space for art builds, or event planning resources, they can tap into the shared resources. And all of this sharing has the added benefit of creating opportunities for collaboration and coordination! Imagine what types of actions and ideas folks are going to dream up around the proverbial water cooler at Petworth United Methodist Church, or while coordinating the hand off of PA speakers.
Looking forward to making some good trouble with you all.
In solidarity,
The Movement Infrastructure Project
