Jewish Voice for Peace
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CHAPTER MANUAL JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE Inside: Launching Your Chapter | Organizing 101 | Ongoing Chapter Development Jewish Voice for Peace • 1611 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 1020, Oakland, CA 94612 • (510) 465-1777 TABLE OF CONTENTS LAUNCHING YOUR CHAPTER Build a Chapter in 5 Steps! Page 1 Chapter Basics Page 2 Guiding Principles Page 4 JVP Chapter Charter Page 5 Bank Account Business Page 6 Membership & Chapters Page 10 ORGANIZING 101 What is Organizing? Page 12 Bringing People Together: Events & Meetings Page 13 Decision-Making & Structure Page 15 BASE BUILDING & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT One to Ones Page 16 Onion of Basebuilding Page 21 Mapping Your Networks Page 22 COMMUNICATIONS & MESSAGING Media Page 23 Social Media Page 29 How to Write an Email Blast Page 31 How to Submit a Blog Post Page 37 Using our National List to Send a Local E-blast Page 38 CAMPAIGN BUILDING & AcTION PLANNING Coalition Building Page 39 Action Planning Checklist Page 43 Winning Campaigns in 9 Steps Page 45 Media Checklist for Actions Page 46 ONGOING CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT Chapter Levels Page 48 New BDS Campaign Guidelines Page 49 Strategic Filters Page 50 STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS & COUNCILS JVP Rabbinical Council Page 51 Legislative Organizing Page 52 Interfaith Organizing Page 53 Academic Advisory Council Page 54 JVP Student Network Page 55 Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Page 56 Artists & Cultural Workers Council Page 57 ABOUT JVP Why JVP Supports the BDS Movement Page 58 Frequently Asked Questions Page 59 LAUNCHING YOUR CHAPTER BUILD A CHAPTER IN 5 STEPS! 1. MAKE A PLAN: Read through this chapter manual: get ideas for the shape and feel you want in your chapter, make sure you agree with our guiding principles, think about what support you’ll need to get your chapter off the ground. As you are developing an idea of what you want to create, schedule a phone call with one of our JVP National Organizing Team to talk through the process. If you’re in the Midwest or South, contact Ilana Rossoff ([email protected]). If you’re in the West/ Southwest, contact Jimmy ([email protected]). And if you’re on the East Coast, contact Alana Krivo-Kaufman ([email protected]). 2. IDENTIFY YOUR CORE LEADERSHIP TEAM: With the support of your regional organizer, you will find at least 3 other local activists who will create a core leadership team with you for the chapter. 3. BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER: Host a first gathering – invite your personal networks, and tap the online listserv of JVP supporters and members in your community. 4. MAKE IT OFFICIAL: When your regional organizer sees you are ready, you will sign our Chapter Charter. You’ll then get a JVP email address, get your chapter up on www.jvp.org and start organizing for justice, equality, and freedom for Palestinians! 5. STAY IN TOUCH! Our chapters are wonderfully independent and locally-led, but we are all stronger as an organization when our local work inspires and shapes national strategy, and when national resources and staff can support you to do your best organizing. Keep in touch with us! Launching Your Chapter Page 1 of the JVP Chapter Manual www.jvp.org CHAPTER BASICS at least some of JVP CHAPTERS DO THE FOLLOWING: BASE-BUILDING: growing the number of supporters and members in the chapter through regular and systematic outreach and education. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: supporting each other to grow strengths and skills in their practice of organizing. ATTEND national and regional leadership development opportunities within JVP. RESPOND QUICKLY to calls for solidarity actions from Palestinian leaders and our other close allies. PARTICIPATE in coalition work with other Palestine Solidarity groups and groups focused on other social justice issues. RESPOND to JVP national action alerts and protest opportunities. HOST public education events (movie series, speaking tours, lectures, poetry slams, etc). SHIFT the public conversation in your local area (op eds, speaking at venues, etc). TAKE ACTION in one of our key strategic focus areas: • Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaigns • Shift culture through arts, cultural work, and media engagement • Build relationships and advocate with your Members of Congress • Connect with and support Palestine and local electeds in your area solidarity organizing on local campuses • Host Jewish ritual events that build community and provide space for political education JVP CHAPTER STRUctURE INCLUDES: q Regular meetings. q Decision-making process. q Base-building and leadership development plans and process. q Structure for a core leadership team that plans regular meetings and guides ongoing organizing. q Plan for raising funds to support your activism. q Regular contact with JVP national staff with questions, feedback, and updates. q Financial structure in line with national guidelines. Launching Your Chapter Page 2 of the JVP Chapter Manual www.jvp.org NATIONAL RESOURCES FOR CHAPTERS: SUPPORT FROM ORGANIZERS: The JVP organizing team is here for you – get in touch, bounce ideas of us, schedule a call, we LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Your regional organizer is available for regular communication about your chapter organizing, and to provide coaching, trainings, and access to various materials. MATERIALS & RESOURCES: Organizing toolkits, organizing & campaign planning worksheets, brochures & newsletters, posters, banners, t-shirts, buttons, webinar trainings on different areas of organizing, and more! REGIONAL EBLASTS THROUGH NATIONAL LIST: When you organize events and actions, we can publicize them to JVP members and supporters in your area that are on the national list. See page 42 of the Chapter Manual for more information about how to send a regional eblast. FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Fundraising is an integral and important part about organizing, both to support making your work happen and to bring others into deeper relationship and investment in your work. You can reach out to [email protected] for support in developing your grassroots fundraising efforts to fund the the campaigns and events of your chapter. If you occasion- ally just need a little money for a one-off event, you can up to twice a year your chapter can request a mini-grant of $200. The application for chapter mini-grants is here. COMMUNICATION & SHARING AMONG CHAPTER LEADERS: We have a list-serv of representatives from every chapter around the country to share resources, advice, and get updates on national efforts. We also have a JVP Chapter Leaders googledrive where you can find resources and mate- rials at any time. And there’s a JVP Chapters Facebook group to share exciting updates! CONTACT INFORMATION OF MEMBERS & SUPPORTERS IN YOUR AREA FOR OUTREACH: Up to four times a year JVP will share the names and phone numbers of members & supporters on our national list in your area so you can reach out to them to invite them to an upcoming event or connect with them to plug them into your organizing. Be in touch with your regional organizer about this. 501C3 STATUS: JVP is registered as a 501c3 in every state where we have a chapter. This means you are not responsible for filing taxes on local funds or any personal liability, and other benefits. It also means those who have bank accounts need to report on their finances to JVP National. See below for more information about bank accounts and financial report- ing guidelines. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES (LDI): An LDI is an in-person gathering for chapter and council leaders for intensive training in organizing skills and politi- cal analysis and for in-person community building. LDIs happen for chapters regionally and for councils nationally. NATIONAL MEMBER MEETING (NMM): Every other year JVP members from across the country join together for a high-energy weekend of learning, conver- sation, community building and resource sharing THE JVP-CC (JVP COMMUNITY CENTER): The virtual home for JVP’s Community Building and Educational programming which takes place on our online Adobe Connect software. The calendar for all JVP-CC programs can be found at: www. jvp.org/calendar. If your chapter has skills or ideas to share, let us know and we’ll make that happen! Launching Your Chapter Page 3 of the JVP Chapter Manual www.jvp.org GUIDING PRINCIPLES Before you think about launching a chapter, start by reading through our guiding principles to get a good idea of what organizing at JVP is all about. These are the foundational values driving our work both nationally and locally. 1. GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATIONSHIPS We believe that global systems of power that uphold injustice can be changed by grassroots movements. We build grassroots power through relationships that move people to action. 2. THE CAPACITY FOR PEOPLE TO CHANGE Foundational to our work for justice and peace is believing people, organizations, and communities are dynamic. We create space for people to move and transform. We encourage continual learning, skill-development and political education for people to evolve in their thinking and deepen their investment in action to realize justice for all people. 3. SOLIDARITY AND AccOUNTABILITY As part of the global movement for justice in Palestine we work in close partnership with a broad spectrum of allies, partners, faith-based, peace, and social justice organizations in the US, Israel/ Palestine and beyond. We seek to be accountable to those directly affected by Israel’s discriminatory and violent policies and practices, while working to effectively build and accountably deploy our power as American Jews. 4. RESPECT FOR THE HUMANITY OF ALL PEOPLE We believe parity of power will create opportunities for peace between individuals and globally. Our vision of peace, justice and equality for all people guides our work. 5. JEWISH COMMUNITIES CENTERED AROUND JUSTICE We are inspired by Jewish traditions to work for justice and such work is part of our own liberation. We work to build Jewish communities that reflect the understanding that being Jewish and Judaism are not synonymous with Zionism or support for Israel.