ACORN COMMUN ITY ORGAN IZIN G MOD EL
This model is designed for ACORN organizers in the ACORN /AISJ Organizer
Training Program. It is not to be used for mass distribution, rather it is
designed as a brief training manual on the community organization model
developed by ACORN in Arkansas. First edition 1973. Only vendors put their
business on the street, never organizers.
This organizing model was written by Wade Rathke, founder of ACORN, in 1973. There
have been many developments and advancements over the last 35 years since this was
written, but the organizing model still provides a useful guide to building an effective
grassroots organization in lower income communities. This historical document is being
made available on our website as a tool for organizers, not as a cookbook full of recipes.
For additional information and updates, contact Wade Rathke at
[email protected].
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 1
ACORN COMMUN ITY ORGAN IZIN G MOD EL
Table of Cont ent s
I. Role of an Organizer
II. Setting Up the Organizing Drive
A. Analyzing the Macro-area: City, Tow n, Cou nty
B. Analyzing the Micro-area: N eighborhood s
C. Decision on the Organizing Plan
III. Ru nning the Organizing Drive
A. Establishing the Organizing Com m ittee
B. First Mailing
C. Doorknocking
D. Second Mailing
E. H ou se Meetings
F. Med ia
G. Telephone Calling
H . Developing Lead ership
I. ACORN Representative
IV. First Meeting
A. Tim e
B. Place
C. N u m bers
D. Materials
E. Mem bership
F. Form s & Petitions
G. Elect Tem porary Officers
I. Introd u ction
J. Opening the Meeting
K. Com m ittees
L. N ext Meeting
V. First Cam paign
A. Analyzing the Issu es
B. Analyzing the Tactics
C. Lead ership
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 2
D. Be specific
E. Target
F. Tim ing
G. Other Factors
H . Mod els and H istories
I. Research/ Intelligence
VI. Cleaning u p the Organizing Drive
A. Maybes
B. Attend ance List
C. Execu tive Board
D. ACORN Representative
E. Com pu ter Card s
F. Second ary Lead ership
VII. Maintenance
A. Issu es
B. Attend ance
C. Lead ership and Mem bership
D. Politics
E. Discou nt System
F. Mainenance and H istorical Mod els
G. Research/ Intelligence
VIII. Organizer/ ACORN Representative System
A. Criteria for Selection
B. The ACORN organizer
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 3
ACORN COMMUN ITY ORGAN IZIN G MOD EL
GOAL: To build a m ass com m unity organization w hich has as its prim ary
principle the d evelopm ent of sufficient organizational pow er to achieve its
ind ivid ual m em bers' interests, its local objectives, and in connection w ith other
groups, its state interests. The organization m ust be perm anent w ith m ultiissued concerns achieved through m ulti-tactics, d irect action, and m em bership
participation in policy, financing, and achievem ent of group goals and
com m unity im provem ents.
I.
ROLE OF AN ORGAN IZER:
The organizer is the key com ponent in d eveloping an un -organized and
apathetic com m unity into a viable organization. Som eone at every step of an
organization's history m ust fulfill the roles of an organizer.
There are vast num bers of roles an organizer plays in ACORN organizing.
The m ost sim ple is that s/ he brings in m em bers and keeps them there.
Other roles includ e:
-Responsibility for keeping the organization active an d d em ocratic.
-Responsibility for keeping the lead ership ind epend ent and responsive
to the m em bership of the group.
-Responsible for running the organizing d rive.
-Responsible for picking the ACORN representative or at least for
training group m em bers to assum e som e roles of the organizer.
-Responsible for setting up the contract betw een the local group and
ACORN .
-Responsible for m aintaining an agend a ahead of the organizations
s/ he w orks w ith at all tim es. Without an agend a, you are not
organizing.
-Resp onsible for build ing the organization and m aintaining selfd iscipline, responsibility, organizational priorities, loyalty, and
structure.
-Responsible for the total goals of ACORN even above and beyond the
local group goals.
II.
SETTIN G UP TH E ORGAN IZIN G DRIVE
A.
Analyzing the Macro-area: City, Tow n, County
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 4
1. Geography and Land m arks: Take a telephone book and list all the
prim ary organizing land m arks; union halls, city hall, court house, post office,
w elfare office, housing authority, public housing projects, OEO, school board
offices, neighborhood centers of any kind , etc. Then system atically go through
the city w ith a m ap in hand , checking the locations of the land m arks in the area,
and noting those areas w hich seem to contain neighborhood s in your organizing
constituency. Chances are usually excellent that our natural organizing areas are
in som e proxim ity to m any of the land m arks. A census tract can be helpful.
N ote w hatever is unique or uncom m on.
2. Contacts: The w hole process of m aking contacts is built on a pyram id
theory. Make one that lead s to others. The purpose of contacts is to gather
inform ation and resources, and to build pow er. There are three types: hot,
w arm , cold . The hot contacts are people w e have m et before at som e point in the
organization's history. Check the biographical file in the state office. Warm
contacts are those w e have not m et but know som ething about in ord er to build
an ed ge, i.e. w e have an opener or a hand le for the conversation - som ething they
d id , som eone they know w ho w e know , som e reason to believe w e can hit the
core. The cold contacts are those people w e m ust m eet for som e reason, yet w e
have no lead to them . The only ed ge there is sim ply an organizer's skill in
prying inform ation and setting up his/ her ego in ord er to loosen her/ his tongue
in person or on the phone. It's a skill to be perfected , if you're greasy, you are in
the hole.
Contacts give you several critical elem ents for setting up the plan. (Be
careful, though, that contacts m ove on your agend a, and not you on their
agend a. Many contacts w ill attem pt to influence your eventual organizing plan
to serve their self-interest and not ACORN 's.)
(a) Raw inform ation on the area in term s of their analysis on w hat m akes
the area m ove.
(b) Ability to get things: resources, office, law yers, tips, other contacts on
the pyram id m od el.
(c) A constituency to use to build pow er in the greater area, i.e., they w ill
know the behind -the-scenes roles ACORN is playing in the com m unity
in m aking things happen and m aking the agend a. They w ill be the
insid ers. They w ill com pare the changes from the tim e you arrive
through the period of the organization, and your ability to d o w hat
you said you w ould and could in term s of the reality. O ur ability to
alter their conceptions of how things m ove in the com m unity w ill
build their view of ACORN and w ill get them to then build the
organization's influence w ith their contacts and assum ptions.
(d ) Your contacts also give you your invitation and legitim acy in the area,
since you are initially talking to them about the possibility of
organization rather than the fact of it. The suggestions they have for
ACORN , give us the m and ate to be there. As resid ents and factors in
com m unity life they have the ability to protect us against m any form s
of ind irect attack. They can vouch for us in conflict.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 5
(e) They can, if need ed , w rite organizing letters for the operation w hich
allow us to borrow their pow er and influence until w e have som e of
our ow n. (Append ix A)
WARN IN G: With external contacts alw ays guard against being used for
their self-interest if it is not in our self-interest. As a general rule of
thum b in all phases of organizing, give on your agend a only w hen it
d oesn't m atter, never give easily, and never give w here it m atters.
3. Press: Read the paper carefully and everyd ay for a source of current
issues and id eas for issues. Analyze it in term s of how it hand les stuff sim ilar to
ACORN 's potential style and issues. Paper conservative or liberal? Ed itorial
policy? Does it slant? What d o you need in tactics or issue content to m ake good
placem ent? You w ill also need a reporter to call w ho you can d eal w ith for your
first issues. Find out w ho usually covers our kind of stuff or genera l com m unity
events. Find out w ho is the best reporter. If w e can pull it off, give him a tip on
the first action--background , etc. The only d eal is not to quote the organizer or
run the story before the action.
4. Politics: Learn the nam es of the pu blic officials and the rum ors and
facts behind w ho really runs the area. The question alw ays is--w ho is behind
w hat m akes the city really m ove: ind ivid uals, interests, and issues. What are the
party officials like, w hat are the local officials like? Wh at real pow er d oes the
m ayor or county jud ge have, and how d o they execute getting on their agend a.
Makes sense to attend som e of their m eetings and get a feel of how they operate,
a w ard system , pay special attention to w hose w ard covers constituency
neighborhood s.
5. Race Get a feeling of the percentages, and w here w hites and people of
color live. Given the pred om inance of race as a d ivisive issue in com m unities in
m ost urban areas of the country in setting up a broad -based , long term
organizational effort in the area, the first d rives are going to have to be strongly
m ulti-racial including whites. (The nature of w hite racism is such that w hites
can be integrated into the base of the organization at the beginning, but only
w ith great and perhap s insurm ountable d ifficulty once the organization has
m atured .) If the early, found ing d rives w ere in m ixed or pred om inantly w hite
com m unities, then be prepared to m ove to quickly pick up the people of color
w ith subsequent d rives once you have establish ed the im age of the organization.
It is nearly im possible to d o the opposite. Find out w hat role race played in the
political and social history of the area in the '60's and '70's, as a guid e to these
problem s. Your better contacts w ill know and say. H ow you hand le the racial
stuff in the initial d rives w ill largely be d eterm ined by this history. Only reach
people of color first and exclusively, if your organizing plan ind icates accepting
the risk that ACORN m ay never have a w hite m em bership in the a rea. If the
area is com posed of a m ajority of people of color, then this w ill be your natural
base, and the d rives should m ove aggressively in these com m unities w ithout
concern for d iversity. If all of this concerns you, call a liberal for ad vice on how
to pretend 200 years of experience d oes not exist in Am erica, but in the m eantim e
take the glasses off and look at com m unities as as organizer m aking organizing
plans to build ACORN .
6. H istory of the Issues: If you d o not know the history you d uplicate
previous errors, or build a "m e too" group w ithout realizing it. The only reason
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 6
to ever go into an old issue in the area is if you (a) know you can w in; (b) are
"forced " by the ad am ancy of the m em bership; or (c) have a new w rinkle on it
(tim e or tactics). It is alw ays necessary for your contacts and your potential
m em bership to establish the uniqueness of ACORN . Old issues are usually
alread y encrusted in the com m unities' view point. H ow , w ho and w hat
happened in old issues w ill also give you an ed ge in know ing w hat to expect
from the external factors and the com m unity lead ership.
7. Previous or Current Organizations: You need to know w hat the
com petition is--to avoid them , freeze them out, and not tread on "their" issues
until after you have built your base. It is also im portant to know how they lived ,
d ied , how long, w ho put them together, and w hether they are still around . Look
for established groups: unions, N AACP, ACH R, etc. for a record . The m ost
interesting ones are those that w ere exclusively local. Little things that happened
and then fad ed aw ay.
8. Office: You are not looking for an office, so m uch as you are looking
for space, a phone, and som eone to hand le your m essages. Som etim es your
contacts can lead you to such a place, som etim es they can provid e it.
N eighborhood centers, agencies, law yer's offices, union halls, are all space
possibilities. You w ant to pick your space. You can't take just anything you are
offered . Som e places you m ight pick could d efine your effort d ifferently than
you w ant the group actions to. You also w ant a place you can trust and w here
you can control your inform ation. A m em ber in one of your neighborhood s w ho
can answ er the phone w ould be better than letting yourself get forced into a bad
d ecision in the early stages of organizing.
9. Law yers: Alw ays m ake sure that one of your contacts is a law yer. In
state organizing it's like insurance. If you d o not find one, then know w here
ACORN 's closest law yer is. You can never tell. A good "con tact" law yer m ight
also d o m inor local, issue research for you, or, if necessary, file suit.
10. Services: Know w hat variety of social and com m unity services exist in
an area, how they w ork, and their effectiveness.
11. Buses: Know w hat transportation is like in case part of a tactical
organizing plan ever involved a m ass action flow ing out of your neighborhood s.
Know the costs.
B.
Analyzing the Micro-area: N eighborhood s
1. Geography: Go through all the neighborhood s that are in your
potential organizing constituency. Get a feel for their size and their d iversity of
housing, etc., and w here they are in relationship to the rest of the city.
2. Land m arks: N ote everything that seem s potentially relevant in the
d rive. Churches, grocery stores, agencies, parks, neighborhood centers, schools,
projects, businesses, ind ustrial or com m ercial encroachm ent, zoning patterns,
highw ays or freew ays, real estate activity, etc. are all organizing land m arks.
3. Race: If w hite, or people of color, w here d oes the other housing begin?
Is it m ixed ? If so, w hich is d om inant? Our goal is build ing pow er for people to
achieve their interests in an organized fashion. We are not interested in just
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 7
m aking people like each other. People coalesce around pow er, anything else is
social w ork acclim ating people to w hat exists.
4. Incom e: Determ ine from census inform ation, housing, streets, etc.,
w hat the general incom e range in the neighborhood s are.
5. Visible and H istorical Issues: Driving or w alking through a
neighborhood you can often spot visible issues--streets, open d itches, d rainage,
bad lighting, cond em ned or d ilapid ated housing, curbs, gutters, sid ew alks, litter,
d om estic and com m ercial eyesores, w eed s and overgrow n lots, lack of parks or
recreational facilities, bus routes, and a num ber of other issues. Depend ing on
the situations, all of these things are potential organizing issues. With historical
issues find out from your com m unity and external contacts w hether or not
solutions have been actualized , w hat progress has, or has not been m ad e.
H istorical issues are im portant--if the history w as good , build on the increased
and unfulfilled expectations. If the history w as bad , it m ay be an even better
history to build upon since if your issue is good you build the expectations.
6. Discounts: Make a list of al the businesses in the general area for
possible d iscounts. Approach and secure them on the basis of the experience in
other areas of the state w ith the d iscount system as w ell as the t otal num ber of
stores in the system . H aving som e d iscounts clearly m akes it easier to build
legitim acy w ith your com m unity contacts from the beginning. (Append ix B)
7. Contacts: The key elem ent in setting up the neighborhood is the
quality and quantity of your initial local contacts. These are people for the m ost
part w ho live in the area, know people in the area, and are your potential
m em bers. These people w ill also be your best feed -back on local organizing
issues.
(a) Com m unity Lead ers: Alw ays be w ary and careful w ith people w ho
are seen as com m unity lead ers in the neighborhood . Som e are good
and som e are bad , but they are alw ays potential problem s in term s of
their agend a versus your potential organizations. They have the
ability to d efine your group. Com m unity lead ers alw ays bring the
past history of the area w ith them . Our purpose is alw ays to organize
against that past history. If that’s not w here they are at, keep them
aw ay from w here you are. Ministers and OEO personnel and others
often d efine them selves as com m unity lead ers.
(b) Com m unity Action Agencies: Where there is such an agency, they
probably have som e com m unity lead ers on their board or in their
areas. Som etim es a good external contact there can give you nam es of
people w ho they have w orked w ith and have a value jud gm ent on.
Their field w orkers can give you a sense of the issues and people.
(c) Churches: Ministers, in general, and especially of sm aller,
neighborhood churches, often not been overly active. H e can also give
you nam es of people in the church w ho have had low -incom e
problem s and m ight be naturally m ore sym pathetic. (Append ix C)
(d ) Grocery Stores: Sm all grocery store ow ners and personnel can often
give you a sense of the area and som e nam es. They are often
com m unity institutions w here people talk freely d epend ing on the
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 8
ow ner. They know their custom ers. They know w ho has lived there
the longest.
(e) Larger Grocery Stores or Shopping Centers: This is an effective
though m ore at rand om m ethod to get contacts. Set up a table in or
outsid e of the store w ith the perm ission of the ow ner or m anager. Use
a sign w hich catches the eye and interest of the passerby. H ave flyers,
or som ething to give them , on the organization, or the d rive, or w hat
could be d one in the area. Id eally, som eone local w ould be better, but
an organizer can pull it off alone. The key is to aggressively go out to
people, give them a flyer, and engage them in conversation concerning
the neighborhood . H ave a list to have them sign w ith their nam e,
ad d ress, phone no., etc.
(f) Com m unity Centers: Any kind of center w ill have som e know led ge
and nam es in the area, no m atter how scarce. Recreation, d ay care,
neighborhood centers are exam ples.
(g) H ang-outs: Places w here people m eet could have you a contact if
necessary. Exam ples: union halls, food stam p lines, w elfare offices,
public m eetings. Most of the contacts m ad e this w ay are sloppy. Bars
are alw ays a w aste of tim e. People d o not go to talk, w hen they d o,
they d o not rem em ber it, or they w ill alw ays associate you w ith it.
(h) N ew spapers: Selling som e ACORN new spapers could give you a w ay
to m eet people and a reason to talk to them . Just m ake sure you get
the nam es d ow n.
(i) Law yers: N am es of clients in our constituency or neighborhood s.
(j) Doorknocking: If no other alternatives are present, hit som e nam es at
rand om from your lists.
(k) Petitions: Circulating a “safe” petition at rand om could give you
contacts from a gathering place. This is not a raw list of contacts,
because at least you know they can be interested in som ething enough
to d o som ething about it.
(l) Mailing: If necessary send a “feeler” out in areas of the neighborhood
to involve ind ivid ual responses. This is only used in forcing a d rive.
8. Lists: Without a list there is no d rive. The priority on lists is the nam es,
ad d resses, and phone num bers. Your lists should be as com prehensive as
possible, in ord er to m ake the final d ecision on w hich neighborhood to enter on
your initial d rive. Lists can be built from a variety of sources:
(a) City Directories: Once you have sketched out the geography in your
neighborhood s w ith the correspond ing bord er ad d resses, you can find
the nam e, ad d ress, and phone of every ind ivid ual house. It also
show s you w ho ow ns and w ho rents.
(b) Voter Registration Lists: Once you know the streets and the precincts
or w hatever political subd ivisions exist in the area, you can find the
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 9
nam e and ad d resses of everyone in your area w ho is registered .
Should be public inform ation.
(c) Criss-Cross: N am es and ad d resses in one section and phones and
nam es in another. If you m atch them up, you have a good list.
(d ) Phone Book: If the area w as rural and sm all enough, you could get it
straight from the area phone book.
(e) Supplem ental Lists: Ad d up the bits and pieces from your contacts or
store tables or w hatever. Ad d itional lists m ight be obtained from food
d istribution centers or any list you have gotten from specific sources,
Title I lists, etc.
(f) Com puter Card s: Put them all up for labels and to keep a record for
later.
Decision on the Organizing Plan: Consolid ate all the inform ation you have
accum ulated in and outsid e the neighborhood s. Once the plan is m ad e you w ill
have to live w ith it, so m ake it good and tight, and take the tim e to d o so.
1. Contacts and Lists: The better they are the better your chances of a tight
d rive. But, if the other factors fit better elsew here, this should not be your
criteria for the d rive.
2. Issues: They m ust be realizable, specific, im m ed iate, and have m ultiplier
effect. With a good enough issue you can m ake a d rive anyw here, although you
w ill have to d o m ore cleaning up on it.
3. Size: The size of a neighborhood to be organized in m aking the plan sho uld
be d eterm ined by natural bound aries, contacts for the organizing com m ittee,
area of the issues im pact, etc. If the size is unw ield y for one d rive, then block
clubs or sm aller units on the d rive should be consid ered . The questions on block
clubs should be w hether you w ill be able to generate enough local issues to
sustain them and w hether you w ill be able to effectively coord inate them into
one large com m unity group. Another com ponent in the size question is d ensity.
Four hund red on a list is m anageable, but if they are spread out to the extent that
people d o not feel the issues or id entify w ith the area, it w ould be easier to have
a 1,000, if it w ere m ore concentrated . N ever m ake a d rive bigger than you can
run and control.
4. Tim ing: Much of you r organizing plan revolves around its ability to create a
happening--m om entum . A d rive that runs past a m onth can becom e alm ost
anticlim actic as w ell as, d eteriorate the stability of your w ork forces. You can not
lose your im m ed iacy, or you w ill lose you r issues and their appeal. It w ould be
better to cut the list if pressed , than to lose the im m ed iacy since you can clean
one up, but not the other.
5. Agend a: Make it com plete and be thoroughly com fortable w ith it. If you are
not, you w ill be unable to m ove people w ithout great d ifficulty.
6. Politics: In organizing, politics is everything that m akes things m ove. Direct
your organizing plan to as near as w e can get to the core of it. N eighborhood s
are not organized to solve problem s, but to build pow er in that area for the
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 10
organization. If the plan is oriented to the core, it can accom plish all the goals. If
it is organized just to the specific neighborhood s, it m ay not even enter into the
arena. N earsighted ness is the fatal w eakness of any orga nizing plan. The entire
future of the organization is not built from the action or from the d rive, but from
the very beginning.
III. Running the Organizing Drive:
A. Establishing the Organizing Com m ittee: The organizing com m ittee is your
m anpow er on the d rive, you legitim acy, your potential lead ership, and the focus
on the issues. The group can be m ad e or broken d epend ing on the quality of
your com m ittee.
1. Making the Meeting: The OC is organized from the contacts you have m ad e
in the neighborhood , as w ell as anyone else they bring in w ith them . You w ant
to hold it at one of their houses, or if necessary, at a central location. You w ill
have alread y set up the basic agreem ent of creating an organization to d eal w ith
the issues in the area before the m eeting. You w ant strong people w ho w ill
w ork. You w ant to cut aw ay possible conflict or d isagreem ent. You w ant a
cross-section of the neighborhood . Som etim es it is helpful to get the person
hold ing the m eeting to help in the final invitation process.
2. H old ing the Meeting: Invariably, the organizer w ill end up guid ing the OC
m eetings, especially the first one. Draw people out to take roles in m oving and
running them . You w ill alw ays have to m aintain a com plex d ynam ic in the OC,
w hich allow s for "testing", d igressions, hum or, enthusiasm on the issues and
events, and consensus on the techniques, responsibilities, and com m itm ents
w hich m em bers of the OC w ill be forced to m ake. These m eetings should be
held w eekly d uring the d rive.
3. Agend a for the Organizing Com m ittee:
(a) Introd uctions and Purpose: You are only cem ent in the m eeting. Make the
introd uctions. Decid e w hen to start it. Lay out w hat the m eeting is about and
w hy. Play it off against the person w hose house it is.
(b) Issues: Test the visible issues and those issues w hich people have m entioned
to you. Get response. Anticipate other issues and d iffering em phasis than you
had expected . Get consensus on the first issue and the first cam paign. This part
of the m eeting usually takes 50% of the tim e.
(c) Elections: The group m ust be d em ocratic. Election of officers m ust be agreed
upon from the first m eeting.
(d ) Organizing Letter: H ave a sam ple from another d rive and pass it around .
Get agreem ent on the form at and the basic w ord ing. Get agreem ent on their
signatures.
(e) First m eeting: Get a d ate and tim e.
(f) Mem bership: Stress it. If you forget, people w ill feel d eceived at the first
m eeting. It helps to have them sign up at the OC m eeting.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 11
(g) N am e: H ave one read y, d o not be w illing to conced e on one w hich is
rid iculous or d uplicates.
(h) Contract: Make clear w hat they can expect from ACORN (services, research,
assistance, contacts, political pow er, literature, etc.) and w hat ACORN expects of
the group (d ues, affiliation, new s d istribution, etc). Define your role, as w ell as,
the future ind epend ence of the group.
(i) Doorknocking: Get agreem ents on w hen, not if.
(j) Future OC: Set the tim e, place, and d ate. At future m eetings go through the
progress, other issues, expand on your original them es. On the last m eeting,
prepare an agend a for the first big m eeting.
B. First Mailing:
1. Organizing Com m ittee Letter: The organizing letter has several purposes: to
give the d rive local "neighbor-to-neighbor" legitim acy, to d efine the first issue, to
serve notice of the d oorknocking, to create a receptive visit on the d oors, to turn
people on, to invite them to join the com m ittee, and to notify them form ally of
the first m eeting. Must be signed by all the organizing com m ittee. Do not m ail it
to those people you w ant to exclud e. (Append ix D)
2. Flyer: This should be your basic id entifying card , consistent throughout the
d rive. It should be brief and to the point (25 w ord s). It should highlight th e
tim e, place, d ate, and issues. Doing flyers is not art, but it is an art. A sloppy one
w ill kill you, and m ake the d rive look am ateurish. There is no excuse for it.
Where you bunch w ord s, type it. (Append ix D)
3. Organizing Letters: Depend ing on w hether you need it to get in the d oor, or
to get people to the m eeting, you should use an organizing letter here for your
cred it card . Select the letter to use d epend ing on your constituency and w hat
problem s you pred ict. (Append ices A & C)
C. Doorknocking:
1. Reason: there is no substitute for personal contact in convincing people to
becom e active in the organization. Doorknocking d oes it best. It gives the
d oorknockers a chance to answ er questions and create the im pressions of the
organization. It allow s you to bring people in and d efine som e people out. It
gives organizers a feel of w hat the m eeting and organization w ill be like, and
w hether you need to m ake any special plans or ad justm ents.
2. Team s: Doorknocking in team s m utes the outsid er role of the organizer and
red uces the foreign experience of an organizing d rive w hen you are using local
people. Men and w om en team s are best, w om en team s second , and m en team s
third in neighborhood organizing. H aving tw o people on the d oors in also
insurance against forgetting im portant things w hich need to be said . Alone is
never good , but better than nothing. It's not so bad if a single is from the area,
and not an organizer.
3. Techniques:
(a) Get in the d oor w henever possible.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 12
(b) Keep it less than 15 m inutes. You w ere not invited , so d o not m ake yourself
unw anted . Avoid being trapped into coffee and socializing --prim arily, you are
there for critical, though not som ber, business.
(c) Know the nam e, it m akes all the d ifference.
(d ) Do not set yourself off past com m on und erstand ing, or w ithin com m on
stereotypes in d ress styles and d elivery.
(e) Keep your organizing card s to yourself. It turns people off to think they are
one of the m illions in their ow n organization.
4. Rap : You have to d o m any things w ith little tim e, so plan it carefully. Brief
your d oorknockers carefully and plan out w ho takes w hat pieces of the rap.
(a) Set the scene. What's happening, w hen, w here, and w hat about.
(b) Pull them out on the issues and find out w hat m oves them . Engage.
(c) Stress pow er; people, pressure, accountability, change; w hat organizations
have d one and w hat they can force people to d o.
(d ) Give them a good sense of exactly w hat is going to happen at the m eeting:
election, d ues, issue d iscussion, agend a, plans for action w ith exam ples. If
people know w hat to expect, they w on't be surprised and the m eeting w ill be
sm oother.
(e) Explain ACORN and never forget to m ention m em bership d ues.
(f) Get the phone num ber, if you d on't have it.
(g) Get a com m itm ent on attend ance at the first m eeting.
(h) Give them a flyer to rem ind them of the facts behind the m eeting and w hen it
w ill be. Give them w hatever other m aterials you have prepared as w ell.
5. Organizing Card s:
(a) Make a card out for everyone on the list w ith nam e, ad d ress, and phone
num ber.
(b) Mark their response on the attend ance w ith yes, no, or m aybe from your
analysis of the m eeting and the nature of the com m itm ent, not from w hat they
say. Put it in the upper right hand corner.
(c) Put any relevant com m ents on the bottom of the card . Exam ple: other issues,
special problem s, need for transportation, etc.
(d ) Make sure you keep them organized so that you know w hether you have
seen them , or they w ere not at hom e, or w hether you still have to d o them , or
w hether you are d ealing them . (Append ix F)
D. Second Mailing: If the second d istribution is through the m ail, send it d uring
the last w eek as near as you can tim e it to arrive before the first m eeting w ithout
risk. If d one by hand , d o it the d ay before. This m ailing constitutes a rem ind er.
In som e cases it w ill be the first m ailing that som e people on the d rive have ever
seen, so d on't und erestim ate it.
1. Flyer: Basic rem ind er. Sam e color as the earlier flyers. Brief, but w ith m ore of
a sense of the agend a. Keep it the sam e basic style. (Append ix G).
2. Organizing Letter: If you think it is necessary, or if you have m ore than one,
or if you have saved your organizing letter as a final incentive, then send it now .
E. H ouse Meetings:
(a) H ouse Meetings are especially effective in rural areas. H ouse m eetings
organize people in the sam e w ay that organizing com m ittee m eetings d o. Where
you can d epend upon people to take a m ajor role in putting them together w ith
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 13
their neighborhood s they are effective. If not, d oorknocking is a m ore efficient
use of them generally, since our goal is m ass organization.
(b) H ouse m eetings are good w ays to involve people on your OC w ho w ould
not be effective on the d oors.
(c) H ouse m eetings are excellent w ays to build in reinforcem ent, if fear is
w id espread or if you have som e especially w eak people, or if you have a num ber
of special-problem s people w ith an im portant, but lim ited issue in the area.
4. H ousem eetings take d ifferent skill com pared to d oorknocking. The testing
can be m ore severe. The control is w eakened . Territory is a shifting issue. When
d one w ell they are trem end ous organizing processes.
F. Med ia
(a) Poster: Posters and flyers d isplayed prom inently throughout t he area,
spread the w ord , reinforce the d oorknocking, and contribute to the happening
effect. We m ake the organizing d rive the biggest thing to ever occur in the
neighborhood . The posters should be of the sam e general them e as flyers, w ith
sim ilar d esign.
(b) Rad io: Rad io announcem ents of the m eeting are especially effective d uring
the end of the d rive, not so m uch in d raw ing new people, but in reinforcem ent.
(c) Press: If you can get an announcem ent w ithout having to have a story
w ritten about the d rive or a reporter at the first m eeting, run som ething. If not,
d on't. It d oesn't help substantially.
G. Telephone Calling: The last night or tw o (d epend ing on the size of your list)
have your organizing com m ittee call your list. Rem ind them of the tim e, place,
etc. and get a com m itm ent on attend ance. Id entify yourself, be brief. Be careful
of overkill. Get a count on your card s. Make sure you checked d uring the
d oorknocking on the correct num bers w ith the people, that w ay they also expect
this call.
H . Developing Lead ership: Your organizing com m ittee w ill in m any cases end
up being the prim ary lead ership of the group. Make sure you spend enough
tim e w ith them so that they und erstand w hat a d rive consists of and w hat w e d o.
I. ACORN Representative: During the organizing d rive, select and begin
training the ACORN representatives for the group. H is/ her ability to see the
unfold ing process of the d rive, as w ell as training him in the skills to operate
basic organizing situation, w ill prepare him for his/ her future role. Get him / her
to see the process from the eyes of an organizer, rather than the eyes of the
m em bers.
IV. First Meeting:
A. Tim e: Alm ost invariably the best tim e for the m eeting is at night (or possibly
the w eekend ), since the vast m ajority of our constituency w orks.
B. Place: Location should be central and positively d efined . Concentrate on
churches, union halls, schools, etc. w hich all have positive or neutral
connotations.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 14
C. N um bers: You have to know w hat to expect in term s of a crow d , sim ply in
ord er to be prepared . H aving a hund red cups of coffee for ten people d evaluates
the ten--and you'll need them to build on. Most ACORN com m unity organizing
d rives w ill net 15-25% of the list. N um bers are im portant because this is a m ass
organization d irected at political pow er w here m ight m akes right.
D. Materials:
(a) Meeting Agend a: Item s and the nam es of w ho w ill d o them . (Append ix G)
(b) Attend ance List: N am es, ad d resses and phone num bers are absolutely
essential. Don't lose it. Alw ays m ake sure the nam e on the list is d one correctly.
If it is not, everyone w ho signs w ill d uplicate the error and the list w ill be
w orthless. Make sure you pick it up.
(c) Blackboard and Chalk for Elections: Elections are public, not private events.
It w ill d ecrease hard feelings.
(d ) Extra pencils in case you fill out any form s.
(e) Relevant ACORN literature.
(f) Refreshm ents, if you d ecid e to have them .
E. Mem bership: Mem bership is $5.00 to join and $5.00 per m onth, except if they
pay for 6 m onths in ad vance it is $30 or an entire year is $60. You w ant everyone
to join and you w ant them to join in ad vance. Collect the d ues as people com e in
and go by the organizing table to sign the sheet and pick up m aterials. H ave an
aggressive m em ber of your organizing com m ittee to d o the job. Make it part of
your agend a to catch everyone w ho slipped by the table d uring the m eeting.
Dues tie in our people and are our life blood , so collect them w hen your
opportunity to d o so is highest.
F. Form s and / or Petitions: As a general rule of thum b, form s are for
m em bership actions and petitions are for pre-m em bership or non-m em bership.
Form s give you bulk and ind ivid uality of request. It helps to have som ething
that constitutes action right from the first m eeting and form s/ petitions can d o
som e of it. We d on't w ant people just to sit and listen, unless it's a funeral.
(Append ix H )
G. Elect Tem porary Officers: Tem porary, until you are sure they are stable in
the group and are good enough to run the organization. Basic officers are:
Chairperson, Co-chair, Secretary, Treasurer.
H . Issue and Action Discussion: Leave m ost tim e for d iscussing the issues and
getting agreem ent on a d efinite, specific plan of action on the issues. If people
d on't see that som ething happened at the first m eeting, they w on't be back.
I. Introd uctions of the Com m ittee: Introd uce the m em bers of the organizing
com m ittee and have them take part in the agend a.
J. Opening w ith Prayer: Opening the m eeting w ith prayer prod uces ord er in the
m eeting, sets off uncertain expectations, and gives legitim acy to your purpose.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 15
K. Com m ittees: Com m ittees are not som ething to be entered into lightly. They
can d ivid e the activity and id entity of the group. They take a lot of tim e to
function. Interest is usually low in com m ittees and elections on first m eetings,
because of the d iverse reasons that people cam e and the testing. If you d o
com m ittees, m ake them specific w ith realizable tasks.
L. N ext Meeting: Rem ind people of the d ate and tim e for the next m eeting. It
should be on the bottom of the agend a.
V. First Cam paign: The plan w as m ad e d uring the d rive, so now it is organized
and read y by the tim e of the first m eeting.
A. Analyzing the Issues: Rem em ber the im portance of being m ulti-issued , so
that the group d oesn't over extend itself on just one. H ave the second issue
read y to go. Keep the issues specific, concrete, and realizable. If the issue
d evelops as long-term , fill the gap w ith som ething im m ed iate.
B. Analyzing the Tactics: You alw ays w ant an action of som e kind . The
m em bership either has to go to the target, or the target has to com e to them .
Tactics are as end less as your im agination. Jud ge them on tw o levels: (1) What
w ill they d o to ad vance the issue, (2) What effect w ill they have on your long
term goals. We d on't w ant our tactics to be a question of w inning a battle and
losing the w ar. Take conservatism of your m em bership and the com m unity as a
general assum ption. If you w ant to use m ore hard -hitting tactics, build your
m em bership up to them as the cam paign escalates. In choosing specific tactics,
rem em ber that public m eetings are open forum s w ith their ow n given legitim acy
of mass action. Petitions, public hearings, d ram atizations, d em onstrations, etc.
are all stand ard tactics. Choose carefully and focus on the particular situation.
There is nothing w rong w ith a tactic w hich rid icules a target, rather than running
him over.
C. Lead ership: Prepare your lead ership carefully to hand le the action and the
issue. Warn them of the possible responses. They should be organized , not only
on the goal of the cam paign, but also on w here to settle in negotiation or action.
If they aren't, you m ay stum ble and w in, but m ore probably, you w ill lose.
D. Make sure there is alw ays a d irect and clear view of w hat you w ant, and w hat
you expect to achieve. If there isn't you w ill be hard pressed to d efine the action
once it is over as a w in. The action is alw ays d efined in the m ind of the
m em bership after it is over, not w hile it is in progress, so keep your perspective.
E. Target: A crucial organizing m istake is often m ad e in how organizers pick the
target, or if there is m ore than one, how they pick the ord er of setting up the
targets for the cam paign. Know som ething about him and his structure, so you
can d eterm ine the d ifference betw een concessions and sm oke screens.
F. Tim ing: If you lose m om entum , you lose. Don't w ear out the cam paign, the
press, or your m em bers. Rem em ber if the question is betw een the issue and the
organization, sacrifice the issue w ith w hatever you can get out of it. Tw o w eeks
is id eal, a m onth is pressing it, m ore m eans you better start injecting the second
issue.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 16
G. Other Factors: Obviously, w e set up m ost cam paigns on the principle of
num bers and their potential pow er. Our ability to utilize the m axim um num ber
of variables against the target supports this concept.
(a) Our ability to use the press to keep the issue a public concern is im portant.
(b) Our ability to seem "m orally" and actually right on the issue or cam paign is
key. (Append ix H )
(c) Our ability to change the tactics from the target's expectations.
(d ) Our ability to exploit the political situations.
(e) Ability to escalate the cam paign, m ake us appear reasonable and justified ,
and m aintain m om entum .
(f) The threat is m ore pow erful than the action, although you m ust at som e point
prove your strength and your ability to actualize the threat.
(g) Ability to go to court if forced , if for no other reason, as an exit on the
cam paign.
H . Mod els and H istories: On any cam paign m ake sure you have checked w ith
the state office to see if there is a history on a sim ilar issue or cam paign, or a
guid e m od el on the elem ents of such a cam paign. These are not the ten
com m and m ents, but they could help you see w hat the critical factors are, w hat
past m istakes have been m ad e, and how to avoid them .
I. Research: H aving sufficient and correct inform ation is essential on all
elem ents of the cam paign especially on the inform ation your m em bership
supplies to you. Alw ays rem em ber that your first (or any) cam paign can be your
last. It is not nearly as d efeating to lose on an issue of merit, as it is to beat
yourself.
VI. Cleaning Up the Organizing Drive: Too often the later stages of build ing an
organization are neglected in the relief of the d rive's end , the clim ax of the first
m eeting, and the pressure of the first cam paign. We pay for neglecting to clean
up the d rive in m aintenance problem s, low m em bership, poor d ues collection,
and loss of som e of the group's potential.
A. Maybes: After the first m eeting get back to the "m aybes" d eveloped in the
d rive. The later you w ait the m ore im probable the task becom es. People w ill feel
the structure is set. They w ill be hung up that they d id n't com e w hen they said
they w ould . They w ill lose contact and interest. Furtherm ore, if you w in, they
w ill get the benefits w ithout effort, m aking their m em bership seem irrelevant.
Use the new officers for this, especially if they w ere not part of the OC. Send
them a m ailing for the second group m eeting after this contact.
B. Attend ance List: Get back to the people w ho w ere at the m eeting in ord er to
(1) collect their d ues, (2) increase their inform ation and involvem ent; (3) d efine
the m eeting; and (4) feel them out on w ant they w ant to see and problem s they
had .
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 17
C. Executive Board : Get the board together to go over the m eeting and their
roles in ord er to build lead ership.
D. ACORN Representative: Extend your w ork w ith him / her throughout this
tim e. Build the personal relationship and the contact w ith the office. Get him
collecting d ues and d istributing the new spaper. Show him how to keep up the
lists. The clean up w ill sim ulate the d rive and m ake excellent training.
E. Com puter Card s: Transfer the relevant inform ation on your organizing card s
to the com puter card s in the state office as a perm anent record of the d rive, etc.
Don't m ake flippant jud gm ents w hich you w ill regret a year later o r irrelevant in
d ealing w ith the person later. (Append ix E)
F. Second ary Lead ership: The cleaning up process w ill enable you to bring out
and spot potential lead ership outsid e of the elected structure. If they aren't
hooked up and involved early, you w ill lose w hat could have been the backbone
of the group.
VII. Maintenance: The beginning alw ays pred icts and prejud ices the end . At
this point, 90% of the fund am entals of the group have been laid . The process
d oes not sim ply repeat, but becom es m ore sophisticated .
(a) Issues: You alw ays w ant the group to be m oving on som e issues and
projects w hich involve the m axim um num ber of your m em bership. Your ability
to be ahead of the potential issues and your skill at laying all the fund am entals,
w ill guarantee the basic m aintenance of the group.
(b) Attend ance: The m ajority of first m eetings are the biggest m eetings that
groups w ill ever have, d epend ing on the quality of the issues. Build a core w hich
you can d epend on for consistency in the group in both size and quality. This is
a natural organizational event. You m ust convince the group, though, that they
never have enough people to be satisfied , but d on't allow num bers to d epress
their activity or stability.
(c) Lead ership and Mem bership : Lead ership is built in actions, talk is never an
ad equate substitute. Transferring vast num bers of organizer roles to the
m em bership is critical, so these roles m ust be clear and sim plified for effective
execution.
(d ) Politics: If you d on't m ove your m em bership into the political arena, the
long term goals of the organization w ill never be realized . People relate to the
elective process, so use it as a pow er build ing vehicle. Their role and potential
im pact in this arena should be und erstood and planned for by the group. The
m em bership need s to m ove on the political agend a w hen the tim e com es, so
prepare them from the beginning and throughout their history.
(e) Discount System : Expand ing the d iscount system to increase benefits, as w ell
as continually d elivery those things w hich are the rights of mem bership (lit,
new s, etc) w ill help m aintain the group on the d ay -to-d ay basis.
(f) Maintenance and H istorical Mod els: Check w ith the office for w hat is
available and useful to your group in term s of futu re cam paign guid es.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 18
(g) Research: Most of the research for the group w ill be hand led out of the state
office on any issues and activities the group is interested in pursuing.
VIII. Organizer/ ACORN Representative System :
1. Criteria for Selection: Since his/ her job is to serve as a liaison betw een the
group and organizer in term s of coord ination, inform ation and responsibilities,
get som eone you can w ork w ith w ell. Preferably the AR should be som eone w ho
is going to be reasonably stable both in the eyes of the group and in resid ence in
the com m unity.
2. Who:
(a) Outsid e Contacts: VISTAS, grad uate stud ents, m inisters, OEO personnel,
housew ives w ith tim e, or other volunteers you believe in and trust.
(b) Mem bership: Som eone from the ranks w ho appears able to take on the
job. Exam ple: The first person w ho invited us into the area or som eone
from the original organizing com m ittee.
(c) Lead ership: If necessary, w e can space out the roles of the representative
w ith the executive board and som e sub-officers. The chair could d o the
analytical and pushing roles. The treasurer could collect the d ues. Elect
or appoint som eone to d istribute the new spapers. The secretary arranges
the m eeting places and the m ailing or flyers used for notification.
3. What:
(a) Issues: The AR w ill keep abreast of issues in the com m unity, and alert the
organizer to future need s or d evelopm ents.
(b) Services: The AR w ill know w hat ACORN and the organizer w ill have to
offer in ord er to m aintain the value of the ACO RN / group relationship.
(c) Expectations: The AR w ill keep up the supervision of the contract in
term s of w hat the group is required to d eliver (d ues, circulation,
elections).
(d ) Lists: The AR w ill keep up w ith the fluctuations in ad d resses and
contacts to be sent to the organizer or the state office.
(e) Conflict: The AR w ill keep up w ith any em erging internal or external
problem s w ith the group, so that the organizer can respond if necessary.
(f) Lead ership: The AR w ill m ake sure that lead ership is operating
d em ocratically and is d oing the organizing jobs they are responsible for.
(h) Com m unication: The AR w ill m any tim es serve as the best source of
inform ation of activities in the rest of ACORN and his/ her general area,
because of his/ her close contact w ith the organizer. H e/ she w ill also have
a m ajor role in setting up the lead ership and m em bership for statew id e
issues, w hich are m ulti-grouped .
B. The ACORN Organizer: The organizer w ill keep in touch w ith the AR as
m uch as is necessary to continue the activities of the group. The organizer w ill
m ake w id e ranging d ecisions and give ad vice based on the AR's inform ation on
the group's cond ition, issues, progress, and conflict.
1. Plan: The Organizer and the AR w ill d evelop future plans for the group,
as w ell as lay out the organizing agend as.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 19
2. Step Ahead : The organizer w ill m ake sure that the group and the AR are
continually getting the inform ation they need to em bark on any issue in
d iscussion or planning.
3. Actions: The organizer w henever possible w ill be at the group's public
actions for assistance and ad vice and to keep ACORN 's hand in the
relationship visible.
4. Meetings: At least once a m onth the organizer w ill probably m ake som e
sort of group event so he/ she can talk and m eet w ith the folks: executive
board m eetings, group m eetings, etc.
5. Contact w ith the AR: The organizer w ill talk continually w ith the AR and
the chairperson. H e/ she should m eet w ith them at least once a m onth to
keep the group active and m oving.
6. Obviously the organizer becom es a strong background figure: a
professional service provid ed by the affiliation w ith ACORN .
7. Goals: The organizer w ill continually keep the group in tune w ith the
goals, political d evelopm ents, and em erging issues in t he rest of the
organization.
8. Monthly Report: Any num ber of system s m ight be d evised by an
organizer to keep up w ith the AR and the groups progress. A m onthly
organizer's report to the group w ith suggestions and tips m ight be one
w ay.
9. Responsibilities to the State Office: The state office w ill keep a calend ar
m ad e by the organizer on his/ her w hereabouts and need s. They w ill also
receive a w eekly sketch on each of the groups w ithin his/ her jurisd iction
in ord er to keep the support ahead of tim e and inform ation flow ing. The
state office w ill cond ense all organizing reports and send all organizers
(and AR's) the synopsis.
Written by Wad e Rathke, 1973
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 20
Appendices
A. Sam ple External Organizing Letters (2)
B. Sam ple Discount Letter
C. Sam ple Local Organizing Letter -- Church end orsem ent
D. Sam ple Flyer
E. The Card s
1. Organizing Card s
2. Biographical Card s
3. Com puter Card s
F. Sam ple Rem ind er
G. Sam ple First Meeting Agend a
H . Sam ple Form s
I. Sam ple Press Release
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 21
Appendix A
#1:
To Whom It May Concern:
The Arkansas State AFL-CIO end orses the organizing of com m unity
organizations being carried on by the Arkansas Com m unity Organizations for
Reform N ow (ACORN ). It is our opinion that it is to the benefit of everyone in
Arkansas, and low -incom e and w orking class people in particular, that this w ork
succeed .
We recom m end participation w ith and in this organization.
Alw ays w ith a good w ish, I rem ain
Sincerely yours,
#2
To Whom It May Concern:
The Arkansas Council of Churches, rem em bering the d eep concern of our Lord
Jesus Christ for all of God 's child ren w ho are poor or d isad vantaged , end orses
the principal of com m unity organizations organized for the purpose of
inform ing low incom e fam ilies in effectual solutions of their ind ivid ual problem s
through organized and principled effort. And w e, therefore, approve of the type
of organizational activity being carried on by the Arkansas Com m unity
Organization for Reform N ow (ACORN ) and com m end the activity of t his
organization to the careful consid eration of the people of the State of Arkansas.
Appendix B
Dear Sir/ Mad am :
As a retail m erchant participating in the ACORN d iscount system , I can
recom m end it and the organization for your participation.
ACO RN O rganiz ing Model, Page 22
I take prid e in the part I play in m aking possible the expansion of this useful
organization concerned w ith the interests of low -to-m od erate incom e w orking
people. I also appreciate the ad d itional business I get as a d iscount store.
If you have any reservations or questions about w hether you should offer a
d iscount to ACORN , feel free to call m e, and I think I can set your m ind to rest.
Yours for a better Arkansas,
Appendix C
Resid ents of the Levy Com m unity of N orta Little Rock:
As pastor of one of the churches of this area, and along w ith other m inisters of
our m any fine churches in this part of N orth Little Rock, I am greatly interested
in the total w elfare of all of our people. End eavors and projects that w ill benefit
our com m unity alw ays have m y support.
It is in this spirit of interest for our com m unity that I w rite this letter
recom m end ing this end eavor, as a sincere attem pt to assist our people. I believe
that these efforts are w orthy of your consid eration.
I think that a com m unity organization such as the one these citizens are
attem pting to lead in establishing could be exciting and beneficial to our people.
I urge you to think seriously about it.
On behalf of our church, let m e invite you to use our Youth Center at 35th and
Schm er for your Com m unity Organization m eetings if you w ish. We w ill be
happy to have the first m eeting on April 13th at 7:30 p.m .
Let us alw ays w ork together for the good of the fine people of our Levy
com m unity and our excellent city.
Sincerely,
Appendix G
I. Prayer -- Rev. ______
II. What is ACORN ? Wad e Rathke
III. Introd uction of Organizing Com m ittee m em bers:
H arold Med lock
Tom Lovelad y
William Onsilent
Roxanne Peters
Rachel Pum pkin
Terrance Bratty
Aaron Gibbons
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Clyd Shocker
Mainlyright Coppas, Jr.
Easter H ill
IV. Elections
(a) Chairm an
(b) Co-chairm an
(c) Correspond ing Secretary
(d ) Record ing Secretary
(e) Treasurer
V. Discussion and Plans
(a) UN CO Petition -- late to present it. H arold Med lock
(b) Jobs -- Emergency Employm ent Act, ESD. Tom Lovelad y
(c) Benefits. H arold Med lock
(d ) Private Employm ent Agencies. Wad e Rathke
VI. Selection of Com m ittees:
(a) Jobs
(b) Private Agencies
(c) Legislation
(d ) Grievance
(e) Recruitm ent
VII. Ad journm ent
REFRESH MEN TS FOLLOWIN G
N EXT MEETIN G . . .
Appendix H
To: _____________________, Principal
________________________ School
REQUEST FOR N ON -PAYMEN T OF FEES
This application is subm itted for the non -paym ent of fees for
_____________(nam e of child ) d uring the ________school year.
My signature on this application verifies that I am unable to pay the required fee.
___________________________
Signature of Parent/ Guard ian
___________________________
Local group in ACORN
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Approved ___________
Disapproved _________
_______________________________
Principal
_______________________________
School
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CON TACT:
LCIO Members Refuse to Pay School Fees
Tod ay, the Law son Com m unity Im provem ent Organization affiliated w ith
ACORN voted not to pay school fees until certain cond itions are m et by the
Pulaski County Special School District.
Parents have looked at school books and found purchases w ere m ad e from the
Law son Elem entary School activity fund , w hich includ es school fees, for such
things as florist bills, Avon prod ucts, to pay a charge account at a local
d epartm ent store, and for other item s w hich parents feel are unnecessary and of
no benefit to their child ren's ed ucation. The group is asking the school board to
give a com plete accounting of h ow their school fees have been spent and to
establish a d istrict policy lim iting the m anner in w hich school fund s can be
d isbursed .
"Because w e have been m et w ith a lack of concern on the part of the school
ad m inistration and school board , w e feel it necessary at this tim e to refuse to pay
the school fees assessed to us until these m atters have been properly corrected .",
said so and so.
The LCIO/ ACORN w as form ed last March in response to parents concern over
questionable school policies involving finances, d iscipline, personnel, sanitation,
and the school cafeteria. Officers of the group have contacted to Prosecuting
Attorney's office about w hat they feel are a m isuse of school fund s. They are also
represented by an attorney are contem plating a taxpayer 's suit against the
school d istrict.
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