 From the Ground Up is published by Cornell University Press "Grassroots social-change organizations are a critical resource for progressive movement- building in the United States. They provide political education and sites for constituent engagement, and they are beginning to create networks across issues and/or communities; they promote home-grown leadership among groups that have been disadvantaged; they contribute to a shared understanding of the problems of inequality and injustice; and they offer a public space for the dialogue needed to identify common principles." From community organizing for affordable housing in neglected neighborhoods to providing antiviolence training for youth or litigating for the rights of sex workers, grassroots organizations are engaged in energetic efforts to increase the power of marginalized groups. Social-change organizations operate in communities all over the United States, but little has been written about the details of their operations. From the Ground Up takes a close look at how social-change organizations address challenges related to leadership, staff development, decision-making, resource needs, and collaborations. Carol Chetkovich and Frances Kunreuther, both experienced nonprofit managers, draw on their in-depth interviews with leaders and staff members from sixteen diverse social-change organizations to provide a detailed analysis of these groups and their activities. They note that even working in isolation, these organizations make important contributions to justice in their communities; together they might form the base of a larger progressive movement for change. Advance Praise for From the Ground Up "From the Ground Up by Carol Chetkovich and Frances Kunreuther is a must-read for all of us who are interested in grassroots efforts, anti-poverty strategies, and social movements. The authors have done an admirable job of mobilizing data and pinpointing trends, yet they have not hesitated to express their own views about what it will take to sustain and strengthen these social change organizations. Their book is a job well done." -Pablo Eisenberg, Georgetown University, author of Challenges for Nonprofits and Philanthropy: The Courage to Change Media inquiries, interview requests and reprint permission: |
