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Tools for Radical Democracy: How to Organize for Power in Your Community
Tools for Radical Democracy is an essential resource for grassroots organizers and leaders, students of activism and advocacy, and anyone trying to increase the civic participation of ordinary people. Authors Joan Minieri and Paul Getsos share stories and tools from their nationally recognized and award-winning work of building a community-led organization, training community leaders, and conducting campaigns that changed public policy and delivered concrete results to tens of thousands of people. This how-to manual includes: · In-depth analysis of how to launch and win a campaign · Tools and guidelines for training people to lead their own campaigns and organizations · Insights for using technology effectively, building more powerful alliances, and engaging in the social justice movement
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
11 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 11, 2023
Mostly designed for campaign organizing, but a good set of tools and instructions on how to develop and implement a campaign, from base building to evaluation.
January 18, 2026
Tools for Radicals is a clear, practical, and deeply grounded guide for anyone engaged in campaign organizing—especially those working in grassroots, community-based movements. Written with an understanding of real-world constraints, the book offers a set of tools and instructions for how to develop, implement, and evaluate a campaign from start to finish.
What sets this book apart is its balance of structure and flexibility. Minieri walks readers through the full campaign arc: base building, power analysis, goal setting, strategy development, tactics, and evaluation. Each section is rooted in values of equity, accountability, and collective leadership, making it especially useful for social justice organizations that want to win campaigns and build long-term power.
Rather than offering abstract theory, Tools for Radicals provides concrete worksheets, guiding questions, and frameworks that organizers can immediately apply. The tone is accessible and encouraging, without talking down to the reader. It assumes organizers are smart, busy, and working with limited resources—an assumption that feels both respectful and accurate.
As a housing organizer, I’m actively using this book with our housing group, and it has been especially helpful in clarifying roles, tightening our strategy, and making sure our campaign goals align with our base. The emphasis on evaluation and reflection has also strengthened our ability to learn from both wins and setbacks, rather than rushing from one action to the next.
Importantly, Minieri centers women’s leadership and collaborative organizing, offering a non-fiction social justice perspective that feels grounded in lived experience rather than academic distance. This book is an excellent resource for campaign leaders, emerging organizers, and groups ready to move from passion to disciplined action.
If you’re building a campaign and want tools that are practical, values-driven, and field-tested, Tools for Radicals deserves a spot on your organizing shelf—and in your meeting room.
What sets this book apart is its balance of structure and flexibility. Minieri walks readers through the full campaign arc: base building, power analysis, goal setting, strategy development, tactics, and evaluation. Each section is rooted in values of equity, accountability, and collective leadership, making it especially useful for social justice organizations that want to win campaigns and build long-term power.
Rather than offering abstract theory, Tools for Radicals provides concrete worksheets, guiding questions, and frameworks that organizers can immediately apply. The tone is accessible and encouraging, without talking down to the reader. It assumes organizers are smart, busy, and working with limited resources—an assumption that feels both respectful and accurate.
As a housing organizer, I’m actively using this book with our housing group, and it has been especially helpful in clarifying roles, tightening our strategy, and making sure our campaign goals align with our base. The emphasis on evaluation and reflection has also strengthened our ability to learn from both wins and setbacks, rather than rushing from one action to the next.
Importantly, Minieri centers women’s leadership and collaborative organizing, offering a non-fiction social justice perspective that feels grounded in lived experience rather than academic distance. This book is an excellent resource for campaign leaders, emerging organizers, and groups ready to move from passion to disciplined action.
If you’re building a campaign and want tools that are practical, values-driven, and field-tested, Tools for Radicals deserves a spot on your organizing shelf—and in your meeting room.
October 30, 2018
If you're looking for a good book that has practical tools to political organizing, this is it! You can simply take out the worksheets and use them in your daily organizing practice.
June 27, 2020
Great manual for community organising.
October 28, 2009
This is an organizer's guide, and is focused on organizing community around 1) lobbying local and federal policymakers and 2) influencing elections. It seems really well organized and usable but I just started it.
If anyone has any suggested reading around organizing for change that is more general (not focused on influencing politicians), please let me know.
If anyone has any suggested reading around organizing for change that is more general (not focused on influencing politicians), please let me know.
August 22, 2007
I'm reading this one for work and it's a solid, hands-on book for folks out there organizing every day - no matter what your issue.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews